is a RS a good first car?

[evil_rex]

is a RS a good first car?

what do u guys reakon about it

[Rage]

A stock one isn't too much to expect a new driver to handle...

AWD-understeer is a pretty forgiving platform for a car.

[sepsis]

I bought a '93 legacy RS RA when I was 16 back in '99, its definitely a good first car (although offically I kind of started with a VW beatle, mk4 zepher and various river hacked mazda hatchbacks)

if you're looking at a gen1 (old shape) then lower km's are a good idea, there seems to be a curse around 200k for me personally so I would recommend no more than 130-150k, although other swears by 200-300k and beyond easy, just look after it (oil every 5k, bp ultimate 98). you can improve the perf a bit (cheapish) with a mandatory 3" exhaust from the turbo, a decent intake\pod and bov (definitely venting to atmo), a cheap boost tap & gauge wouldnt go amiss either, 12.5psi seems to add a bit more exictement over the limp wristed factory 9psi boost.

other than that, AWD is sticky with decent tyres but expect some bodyroll, easily cleared up with some king lows (preferably superlows) to stiffen the up the ride or even "makita" specials.

good luck mate

[flash]

no a HR holden was mine back in 1970, but i did my RS new back in january of 1993..... then i smashed it up 12 months ago it had just done 100,000ks it brings tears to my eyes and my wallet.......

[evil_rex]

[QUOTE=sepsis
I bought a '93 legacy RS RA when I was 16 back in '99, its definitely a good first car (although offically I kind of started with a VW beatle, mk4 zepher and various river hacked mazda hatchbacks)



how much did u pay for it?

and what insurance did u have?

[Rallyeee]

I think I would have killed myself if an RS was my first car. Even though you'll probably be able to handle the power pretty easily, you're more likely to screw up in a higher powered car.

One thing I'm noticing is that the cars around you aren't expecting people to be able to accelerate as fast as you can in an RS. Sometimes I'll be coming out of a roundabout in the outside lane and I'll accelerate hard out of it. Then someone up ahead in the inside lane will change into my lane and cut me off, because they saw me back at the roundabout behind them and didn't expect me to be up next to them that quick.

You have to be a bit more on the look out even if you just give it the odd squirt here and there, but the main reason I think a high powered car is a bad idea for a first car is that it's really easy to get a bit too excited with the acceleration and go a lot faster than you intended. Sometimes I'll take off and run through the gears a bit, just having fun with the power of it then I'll look down at the speedo and just be like "****!". I've only been driving for a few years now but I just think I would have got a bit more carried away when I'd just got my licence if I had an RS.

Each to his own though, you might be a bit more reseved than me. If you're mature about it and realise you need to give yourself time to get used to the car and its power you should be fine, just don't get over confident with your driving, it happens to most people. Good car though. Sorry /end long rant

[sepsis]

[QUOTE=sepsis
I bought a '93 legacy RS RA when I was 16 back in '99, its definitely a good first car (although offically I kind of started with a VW beatle, mk4 zepher and various river hacked mazda hatchbacks)



how much did u pay for it?

and what insurance did u have?

I paid about $17,000k for it off a car yard with about 90k on the clock, mint condition, 1 owner in japan. normal non RA RS legacy's (this is in NZ obviously) were going for about $12-13k at the time. back in '99 they didnt have such a bad rep so the insurance wasnt bad, maybe $600 a year premiums, $350 theft\damage excess and I rode that until the car was stolen and burnt out in '04. now times have changed, and not sure how insurance companies over there view young guys with RS's, here in NZ (depending on you're age) you would be looking at $1k a year minimum and $800 excess and thats in stock form, maybe more.

I dont have insurance at the moment but will be looking for 3rd party soon (theft\damage to other cars), will be about the same $600-800 a year and a big excess (even though im 7 years older and hold a full licence, somewhat cleanish record)

[sepsis]

hey I'm still alive Rallyeee, the car is pretty forgiving. factory rated 220-240hp isnt that much in an AWD. a great first car (if driven responsibly)

[Rallyeee]

Really? I thought you were writing from beyond the grave, nah I just said I reckon I would have killed myself if I had an RS as a first car. Even if you've got a lot of driving skill straight off the bat, I think you're more likely to get over excited and drive stupidly in a high powered car when you're learning to drive.

[Raz]

I hold to the belief that anything high powered is NOT a good first choice in a car. AWD may well help assist but it wont help you a bit when you loose it after showing off to your mates how "fast she'll run to 100 and round this next corner..."

Fact is young inexperienced drivers and performance cars dont mix (with the possible exception of motorsport). The facts and statistics prove that. I have seen the result of young drivers and excessive speed etc all to often in years gone by.

Yes...you can kill yourself in anything but bottom line is that the risk rises with the increased performance that a given vehicle has.

[evil_rex]

yeah all i want on the car is an exhaust to have the nicer boxer sound and maybe some good rims and lowered.

will lowering the car give it better cornering abillity

[Nick D]

No- Insurance will be an absolute killer

[sepsis]

I did exactly that when I bought the first rs, 3" turboback zorst, filter\box new springs and some rims. I never declared to them to insurance co which is a bit dodgey but if the car was ever stolen I knew I wasnt getting it back, they strip em and burn em within a few hours here. exhaust\filter to open things up and at least some decent springs are mandatory.

[evil_rex]

i am getting my L's in 6 months and i got Quoted $4500 for comprahensive
and $812 for third party with fire/theft

this is for a RS with exhaust and lowered

[sepsis]

i am getting my L's in 6 months and i got Quoted $4500 for comprahensive
and $812 for third party with fire/theft

this is for a RS with exhaust and lowered

WHAT, 4 and a half g's is outrageous, go with the third party mate

[evil_rex]

yeah i proberly will, but hat does it mean when you crash and what is covered

[sepsis]

yeah i proberly will, but hat does it mean when you crash and what is covered

basically with third party if its stolen, you get a pay out, make sure the policy is agreed value though and not market value, otherwise the value will go down too quickly.

if you crash into someone and it's you're fault then you're insurance pays for their damage, but you have to pay for you're own damage. its basically coverage for minor accidents, if you write the car off you're screwed.

[evil_rex]

thanks, did u have insurance when your RS got stolen and burned?

[RSKY]

$4.5k is nothing. i was close to 19 with no driving record and was quoted $7.5k

[sik_rs]

u will kill yaself, not to mention dunno how much u know about cars, your mates will be egging you on to do a launch, and a rs box wont take many of them, if you break that expect 1500ish out ya wallet, dunno how much money mummy and daddy have but i would go out n buy a shitter corolla or sumfin, thrash da fwd round a bit get used 2 doing handbrakies, then get a rwd car n get used 2 hanging it out then u prepared for wateva happens in the suby n u know how 2 control it and u will also b used 2 driving n not go out n kill yaself, not saying u def will but a p plater with one of there isnt the smarted idea, they r preety quik for wat they r. my say, i had 1 at 18 though on my p's and just got another one, pik it up monday :-)

[evil_rex]

the reason iam buying a awd car is that they cant do burnouts ( i think) and you cant get sidways as easy as a Rwd car Eg: holden , 180sx
plus i dont want to be buyng fuel and tyres all the time.

[sepsis]

thanks, did u have insurance when your RS got stolen and burned?

yeah I did mate, market value though, it was worth about $7k (limited ed RA) but I only got $5k. it paid for the new '92 cherry black RS I'm driving at the moment.

heaps of people will tell you you're gona kill you'rself, just respect the power and you'll be fine. what year lib were you looking at anyway? if its a gen1 expect it to guzzle a bit of gas.


$4.5k is nothing. i was close to 19 with no driving record and was quoted $7.5k

thats messed up dude

[evil_rex]

iam looking at a 91,92 or 93 lib RS

but in here the average price is around $10k for one with about 200,000km on the clock.

[RSKY]

i think the RS is a very forgiving car as a first car, compare it to an equivalent RWD car and if i had a son i'd much prefer him to be driving an RS

[thomas]

A think a non turbo manual lib is a good car. Its not that slow (autos are) a very driveable car. You can make them look good and handle well, get abit of experince up then move onto something with abit more power :P.

I baught my rs just before i turned 18, and drove a NA lib for 11ish months before that which was a really good thing i feel, as i did some stupid things and no matter who you are or what kind of driver you are, u will do stupid things and make mistakes, and i did, and im glad i didnt make them in a rs.

Also 7.5 isnt a bad effort, i had one for just under 9k. Thats paying more than the car is worth in two years. Which is stupid, so i third party mine, but i have to be very careful and dont end up driving it out much at night because of that, so i usally drive one of the folks cars.

I probably wouldnt buy an rs as a first car looking back , some people have owned them as there first cars and loved them. I guess it comes down to who you are and your maturity about the car, but i think thats something thats very hard to judge for yourself.

[sepsis]

its amazing to hear the differant perception you guys have over there of the value of an RS. these are a dime a dozen over here in NZ so we dont treat them so well, I'd take my '93 down rough gravel\dirt roads regulary (living in the country), and wasnt really concerned about busting up a panel here or there as would just pay to get it fixed no problem (insurance or no), $9k for insurance is beyond stupid, its cheaper to just crash it and pay for it you'rself! so why worry when you're driving it out at night that something *might* happen? the car is to be enjoyed and used and driven, not stuck in a garage on the weekends.

[paddo]

other than that, AWD is sticky with decent tyres but expect some bodyroll, easily cleared up with some king lows (preferably superlows) to stiffen the up the ride or even "makita" specials.

i do NOT see how chopping your springs will increase your handling.
this is not a smart thing to do at the best of times, and really not a good thing to recommend to young drivers.

if you want handling improvements, shocks and springs are the first port of call, then swaybars (and HD links), strut braces, anti lift kit, camber/castor hats, camber/castor rods, sticky tyres are also necessary, as even the best suspension isnt going to do much if you have **** tyres.

[sepsis]

i do NOT see how chopping your springs will increase your handling.
this is not a smart thing to do at the best of times, and really not a good thing to recommend to young drivers.

if you want handling improvements, shocks and springs are the first port of call, then swaybars (and HD links), strut braces, anti lift kit, camber/castor hats, camber/castor rods, sticky tyres are also necessary, as even the best suspension isnt going to do much if you have **** tyres.

obviously I'm kidding about chopping the springs, a definite quick way to f*ck other suspension components, reduce braking & handling abilities at the cost of looks.

in my personal experience a professionally installed lowered spring kit can slightly stiffen up the somewhat "boat-like" handling you get with the factory setup, provided the 10-13 year old shocks are still good it would be a good start for the budget conscious.

[paddo]

i find it hard to believe any 10-13 year old (even tho there are alot of 15-16 year old) shocks to be "good".

[V8eta]

I wouldn't recommend the RS for a first car, to much power and grip for an inexperienced driver, and they can be expensive to maintain, In the wet mine has nasty snap oversteer, not sure if anyone else has found this and you have to be really quick with the wheel to catch it.

With the amount of grip they have as well if you push it too hard its going to be a big crash.

[alexxx]

i'm getting my p's in less than 6 months theres no way i would want an rs for my first car, any turbo actually. one big reason is the cost of running - fuel, insurance, rego etc. second - even though i've done a tonne of hours on my L's thats nowhere near enough experience. for me i've just picked up a 98rx wagon and absolutely love it, i think its the perfect first car for me. plans for some nice wheels, just a basic exhaust setup that will do me till i'm off my p's. then maybe ill be ready to turbo it... :)
just my $0.02

[evil_rex]

yeah well i still have my eyes set on one. but i now understand that they do have alot of power and i will respect there power and i wont drive like a maniac

[evil_rex]

well alexxx i see your point about driving a turbo but if you dont drive fast you might have no probs,

the only reason i want a turbo is because if you need the power for Eg: overtaking its there but there are speed limits.

[alexxx]

every p plater is a hoon, its inevitable. no offence dude thats a really bad reason, i think you want a turbo for bragging. i was once like that lol...

anyways... i'd rather stay in one piece rather than wrapped around a pole.

[naif]

hey dude, im 19 been on my p's for 6 months, my 1st car was a 1991 gx AWD wagon, it is now powered by an ej20T, i thin it is really upto you wheather or not you buy an rs for your 1st car, i know i would much rather drive an SWD subaru then anything else, aslong as you dont drive stupidly and get used to driving a turbo'd car, you will kno what most of the cars reactions are,

burnouts? in the dry i definetly wouldnt reccomend it!
in the wet, mine spins everytime it hits boost,
i wouldnt reccomend trying to do an AWD burnout at anytime in a subaru(altho i did it in my car when it was NA)wet or dry if you rev it and dump the clutch you are looking for trouble.

an rs in my opinion would make an ideal first car, sometimes you need that extra bit of power.

insurance? i just have thirsd party property, comprehensive when it was a stock GX ws $2500 and thats as cheap as i coudl get it.

[RoBbO]

every p plater is a hoon, its inevitable. no offence dude thats a really bad reason, i think you want a turbo for bragging. i was once like that lol...

anyways... i'd rather stay in one piece rather than wrapped around a pole.
haha i don't think there are too many p-platers out there like you alexxx. good on you for having common sense. I agree with others in that an RS probably isn't a good car for a P-plater, cos no matter how good you think you are as a driver, you're bound to do some stupid sh!t.
I just bought a runaround car for myself when i was 18 and agreed i probably did some stupid stuff in it but it didn't really have enough power to get me into worse situations. Now that i'm 21 i have worked hard to earn the money for my RS and i love it, and treat it like my pride and joy. There's alot thats learnt in those years of being a P-plater

[Bazza]

Yeah its a good first car as long as you give it the respect it deserves.

[evil_rex]

well i might learn to drive in my parents B4 so when i get my car i have experience in a turbocharged car.

as NAIF said ' sometimes you need that extra power'

[PeTaR`]

I'm on my p's driving an my05 2.5i, taken a few gx's for tests drives and must say i won't be buying one. So if i do buy an old liberty i'll make sure it's turbo. The gx's steering seems very heavy, throttle response was too sensitive, sunroof's making horrible screaching noises etc. I've wanted a gen1 for about 3-4years, they look awesome n go hard but to be honest, after driving one i'm not sure anymore. They just don't compare to the my05 (obviously), and even the old VS commo we had.

Is there any way to make the steering on an RS as smooth/light as the new liberty?

[Bigtim11]

hey man....
i think some other people have asked the same question before.
i have to agree with alexxx here about his point with p platers and turbo's (its really only for the bragging factor between mates)
my mate has a r33 gts-t (over the power to wieghht ratio for p platers) and yea its quick but everyone asks him for lifts home from school so if you got plenty of petrol money.....go for it.
i got my p's in april and was in the same position as you, looking for a new car and i would have to say power was the first question i asked, but then i saw my car and went for style lol
i drive a 2nd gen and admit that i hoon (dont flame me paddo) as i learnt my lesson and luckily got off easily. and my driving style now has changed dramitically.
i could write soo much on this topic...
my suggestions for a first car in the subie range would be a 'rallyee' or gx, set of rims for looks/handling, lower it, stereo, exhaust if your into that kinda stuff and your set.
good luck with it all...
/ boring dribble

[Raz]

Yep go for an AWD N/A Lib. With the right muffler you'll get that boxer note that we all love. Down the track you'll have the option then of a conversion, a prospect that really is not so unreasonable these days given it's relative simplicity.

I applaud you in your comments re driving it sensibly but without trying to offend, it will remain to be seen. FACT: you'll have a HP car and you'll want to use that "bit of extra power" from time to time.

Mate...if you are as sensible as you make out to be (and I have no reason to doubt you) you'll see that statistics rule and you will benefit from gaining experience in a car doesnt have the risk potential of one such as the RS.

Case in hand : a family friend allowed his son to purchase an R32 GTS4 after considering that the son in question had a good record (been on his P's for 6 months) and that he had worked hard to save the money. The son off his own back attended both defensive and advanced driving courses and really was of a nature that made you feel that he was older than his 17 years. He picked the car up in melbs last week.

The car is now sitting in their back yard with tail torn off after he lost it and took out a power pole. Why...becoz by his own admition he allowed a mate to coerce him into a bit of spirited driving after they dropped off 2 other friends. If those 2 friends had still been in the car at least one of them will not be here right now.

To top it all off he has been charged by the police with dangerous driving. This was a young bloke that had all the qualities that you exube and looked what happened.

You do not need that bit of extra power. You make do and adjust your driving attitude to the capabilities of yourself and the car you are driving.

Look, im not trying to lecture you, just trying to impart a little bit of wisdom and experience upon you for your upcoming purchace. i have seen too many young ppl involved in accidents because they were taking a HP car beyong their own experience and capabilities.

Good luck
Raz

[sepsis]

there are a lot worse turbocharged cars he could be buying than an RS, any RWD for example.

I dont even remmeber my first RS being that quick or unruley, I vaugley recall redlining it constantly and not being overly impressed with the stock "hardly there" 9psi boost. I would say in stock form its NOT going to be incredibly dangerous, but once you start doing the basics and open things up a bit they can be easily turned into a real weapon.

if you heart is set on this car mate, dont let any old fellas tell you differantly, but heed their advice - with the extra power on tap you are going to use it (why buy a turbo car and not use the turbo?) and without knowing the car like the back of you're hand things could turn pretty nasty.

good luck

[Raz]

... dont let any old fellas tell you differantly...

hahahahaha, old fellas...pfffft, havent got my walking frame yet!

[sepsis]

hahahahaha, old fellas...pfffft, havent got my walking frame yet!

lol sorry dude, I wasnt implyin one foot in the grave or anything!

I was certainly advised against buying a car like this when I was so young and everyone said I was going to kill myself real quickly in it and that I should go for something more practical. Never have been a practical person and since I was paying for the car myself (no ritch daddy to pay my way!) it was my choice at the end of the day and no one could do anything about it.

[naif]

practical? why do you think i own a wagon!
everyone blabs on about P-Platers driving habits, sure we may be hoons but the things ive seen fully licenced drivers doing is alot worse,
why do i need the exstra power?
heres a good example.
was out on the highway the other night and was in the left hand lane doing my 90km limit, allowed about 4 cars to overtake me and this cockhead on his "blacks" was sitting up my arse the whole time and as the other cars pulled out first he couldnt and by the time he had tiem to my lane was almost at an end (about 5m to go) he was along side me, so i jammed it back into 3rd and gave it to it and overtook him, now if i hadnt have done this i would have ran into a tree, so it isnt just us p-platers being cockheads on the roads, the next time someone does this to me they will then suffer a 10km run up the highway!...YES I HAVE ROADRAGE

[sepsis]

good example naif, the extra power is always handy for situations like that, effortless overtaking on the open road is good as well and in theory safer although I got a little bit too used to this and almost got pinged (overtaking with almost *no* space to do so) and as you can imagine the on-coming car wasnt to happy. live and learn.

[Raz]

But naif...i dont see this as a good example at all. Look im not critising you on a personal level but that action that you took is exactly the kond of attitude that ppl are raving on about. Yes mr Blackie did the wrong thing and most likely made an error in judgement (or thought that he would be smart). But your action was not justified either. Im not sure of the laws in your state but here if you were in that situation then you would have been obliged to give way. In any case would it not have been smarter and possibly safer to touch the brakes and let him go? That is the suggestion you would have got from the boys in blue had they pulled you over for it.

[Elliot KB]

my full insurance is just over $1000pa (my mum works for an insurance provider F*@K yeah)
i had an itty bitty lancer. taught me about understeer. it was probably best i didnt get an RS an my first. cause now i can appreciate the pleasure of driving AWD turbo power.

my advice. but it for a good price and dont treat it as a race car ( aka first car )

[Elliot KB]

my full insurance is just over $1000pa (my mum works for an insurance provider F*@K yeah) im 19 btw
i had an itty bitty lancer. taught me about understeer. it was probably best i didnt get an RS an my first. cause now i can appreciate the pleasure of driving AWD turbo power.

my advice. buy it for a good price and dont treat it as a race car ( aka first car )

[gramps_RS]

i dont want to be buyng fuel and tyres all the time.
dude, dont buy a turbocharged car if you cant afford to fill it. it would suck

[Bazza]

A good way to learn how to drive is to buy a 100S gokart and do some laps in the wet... fantastic stuff trying not to lose it on the corners... and if you can afford it then get your car onto a racetrack and deliberatly try to lose it (in areas where there are no walls) to find the limits of the car etc. Then obviously on the road you know where the limits are, what happens when you do lose it and also how much space is required to stop when you spin so the outcome will be you know where you can give it some stick and where you definetely shouldn't even think about it :)

Go for the RS.

[evil_rex]

that is a very good idea VASILLI i might just do that. the closest car track to me is wakefield park and they have days were u can drive your own car.

as the other guy said u will need the power for some situations but i understand the 'correct' thing to do is to slow down.

[ZelkRS]

A good way to learn how to drive is to buy a 100S gokart and do some laps in the wet

Ah, go-karting in the wet, now that's fun! Especially when the place I went to didn't have any treaded tyres so we used slicks instead. :-)

My 2 cents is that I wouldn't get an RS for the first car...OK, I can understand, first car you want to get something cool that has a bit of go, but even though it's AWD don't let that fool you. There's always the tempatation to put the foot down, just to see what it can do. I'm not making any judgements about your driving or anything like that, we all know what it's like when you get behind the wheel, curiosity gets the best of you sometimes.

But if its your dream car and you really want it, have a think about the running costs - if your doing a tank of petrol a week, then that's about $70 or so, insurance on top of that, and also maintaning the car. If you can do all those things, the go for it and Enjoy the new purchase!!! :)

[evil_rex]

yeah i diddnt thing about the running costs and that.
iam gunna have to get a part-time job then

i allways wanted a MY99 wrx but i saw the insurance and almost died. now that i saw the RS i want one.are they as thirsty as a B4

[ZelkRS]

It vaires depending on mods and how you drive, but I'm not sure how thirsty a B4 is so I can't make that sort of comparison.
Have a search there have been threads every so often about fuel economy.
Here's a couple to get you started
http://www.rslibertyclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47265&highlight=fuel+economy
http://www.rslibertyclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=49690&highlight=fuel+economy

[evil_rex]

my parents own a B4 and a full tanks goes about 400-500km using the turbos a small amount

[naif]

WREX i dont want to get into a debate or anything, but isnt there a law that also states that if the car in the left lane is furthest infront then they have right of way?

sure i coud have slowed down biut i didnt have enough room as there was alot of cars behind me, my car has enough power in which i will use, i dont intend to up th boost or do any other mod's,

yes it is fast, do i brag to my mates ? no,

evil_rex, do you drive your perants B4? if so then i think he woud know a little bit about how a turbocharged AWD subaru would handle.

my opinion is if you want an rs then buy one, at the end of the day it is YOUR money and it will be YOUR car, you will have to live with your decision, not any of us.

end of rant

[evil_rex]

i dont want to start any arguing or hatered ok.


i dont drive yet as i dont get my L's for 6 months

all i wanted to know NAIF is that:

is the RS value for money
is it a practical first car
and does anyone recomend it

and bragging to my mates is not the only reason i want a turbo. i want one because i want to know that if i might need the power its there

the same reason you see 60+ yr olds driving New liberty GT's and B4's, there not going to drive through the steets like its a race track or drag people at every lights. the turbo cars are more luxury than the standed ones Eg: semi-bucket like seats ABS cruize control ( dont know if normal libertys have these but hey)

[naif]

my liberty had and still has factory cruise, the seats in a gx feel like a semi bucket seat as they hold you in place.
mine does not have ABS it was a factory option and some have it, i think it is found more in gen 1 ser 2,
i think the rs's are much the same as a gx

RS's seem to have held their value, if you compare them to a WRX the RS has held its falue alot better,

my opinion is yes it is a practical first car, i think your showing a bit more maturity then most guys about to get their licence, this is because you are looking at an AWD vehicle, most young blokes go for commodors or falcons or any other rear wheel drive car so they can do burnouts and drifts.

reccomend it? ofcourse, nothing beats an AWD subaru, whether you want it for performance or luxury, most peopel that get into mine, my brothers or my mates liberty didnt expect to find all the luxury's you usually find in more expensive cars.

[evil_rex]

yeah all my mates want 180sx and dattos so they can smoke it up and drift through streets but iam the sensible one who wants traction, hold and have control than geting the ass out in the wet. i dont want a car with heaps of power that is uncontrolable just one that sticks and can take corners better than falcodores.

[RSTurbo]

yeah all my mates want 180sx and dattos so they can smoke it up and drift through streets but iam the sensible one who wants traction, hold and have control than geting the ass out in the wet. i dont want a car with heaps of power that is uncontrolable just one that sticks and can take corners better than falcodores.

these are wise words mate. i like your attitude.

[evil_rex]

thanks RSTURBO i see u go for richmond? so do i , i have heaps of jersys and other stuff.

back to cars

[evil_rex]

what year RS do u have and what is the best gen 1

[Raz]

... he was along side me, so i jammed it back into 3rd and gave it to it and overtook him...YES I HAVE ROADRAGE

Mayby I misunderstood what you were saying here.....or did I?

In Tas the rules are such that if the car in the RH Lane is along side the car in the LH lane whilst in the merging zone then the car in the LH lane must give way. The way I interpreted your post gave me reason to think that Mr Black had right of way. The Laws in your state may well differ however!

evil_rex...dont worry mate...there's no anger or annomosity here...just an intelligent discussion with varying points of view!!!

I have a 93 RS. They are all much a muchness though!

UP THE DEE'S for me!!! Playing like shite atm but still a game up on the Tiges!!!!!!hehehe

[thomas]

You still dont get ur L's for another 6 months!

Dude what are you worrying about! Seriously, learn to drive , like the basics before you go talking about jumping into a turbo'd car! Its all good that you like them and show interest and stuff, but save ur money, and when the time comes make a desicion on what you want. I wanted about 500 different cars between the time i get my L's and the time i got my licence! And ive been through 4 cars already...... drive the B4 and learn to drive in it, although this could be pretty limiting depending on ur parents. So take it out when there not home ......... kidding. haha.

[ozbattla]

IMO dont get an RS for a first car, wait at least a year to make (alot of) driving mistakes and learn from them then get an RS, youll appreciate the RS alot more.

[thomas]

Hahahaha yeah listen to tha battla, last time i was driving a car near him he got scared and stopped and started boosting in reverse, hehehehehhee.

[rs guy]

from what ive read you sound really responsable and real mature
only thing is that i thought this new rule would not alow you to
get a turbo car cause of all the p-platers crashig them in the
past months but as most ppl have said its your choice in the end
AWD turbo in standard form is not that quick but as you can see it only
takes a few simple mods to turn it into a rocket
the thing you have to think about is when you get used to the
power you will think i want more and then the bug will bite you(more power bug)
if you mod it up heaps you prolly will end up crashing
not saying you will just adding some of my input

[DWBN]

... dunno how much money mummy and daddy have but i would go out n buy a shitter corolla or sumfin, thrash da fwd round a bit get used 2 doing handbrakies, then get a rwd car n get used 2 hanging it out then u prepared for wateva happens in the suby n u know how 2 control it and u will also b used 2 driving n not go out n kill yaself, not saying u def will but a p plater with one of there isnt the smarted idea...

Dude, think before you type as from reading the above there is no co ordination between your brain and fingers. Have a look at what you wrote and then re determine if that is good advice for a young driver..

[sepsis]

evil_rex as far as fuel economy goes, you shouldnt even be considering it. you're thinking of buying a performance, turbocharged vehicle, economy does not even come into it IMO. both my 92 and 93 RS's guzzled something wicked on or off boost, 250-300km to a tank, which is now costing me around $75 a week (not including weekend driving).

as far as maintentance goes late 80ies\early 90ies is potentially quite high, especially if over the 200,000km mark, everything seems to fall over (in my experience) and that it was serviced regulary (oil & filter every 5000km) and worn parts constantly being replaced. a job would be a great idea otherwise the car will end up sitting in the garage a lot.

sorry I didnt relise you hadnt even got you're licence yet, I drove several cars around before I had my licence (I lived in the country so was ok), a VW for about 6 months while I was on my learners licence when I was 15, then bought the RS when I was 16 when I got my restricted licence (I suppose this is the equiv of you're guys P plate), I drove on this licence until recently when I got my full licence (6-7 years later!) I really only ever came close to dying once or twice in the RS over those 6 years, but I'm starting to agree with the other guys that non-turbs lib or something might be a better idea to begin with, then maybe go see Al and go the EJ20T conversion way.

like I said before, at the end of the day its you're $$ and you're choice.

[Bazza]

92 and 93 RS's guzzled something wicked on or off boost, 250-300km to a tank, which is now costing me around $75 a week (not including weekend driving).

WOW thats insane... my 215kw RX7 doesn't even do that city driving and its got 4L of fuel injectors and 1100hp of fuel pumps?? The RS does about 400 - 500km city driving off boost and about 350 giving it stick.... maybe some1 stuck a big V8 in there when you weren't looking :)

I tell ya what though, filling up yesterday for $1.35 ( RON98 ) a litre SUCKS dogs balls...

[V8eta]

1.48.9 over here at the moment for gas :(

The ej seems to be an exceptionally thirsty motor, can't wait till i get the link in there, will have much better economy once properly tuned.

[sepsis]

Ive always had shocker economy in both my RS's and to rule out driving style I've been very conscious for a few weeks and I think the max I ever got out of it was 400km (absolutely dead on empty) and thats slower-than-normal driving for a week. after that all being said and done I really dont care how much gas it drinks, its a turbo ...its fun...

is the $1.48 for 96 V8ETA? $1.52 for BP ultimate (or it was when I filled up last wednesday)

[Raz]

BUGGER ME those prices are insane...!! Thing is...we are fast heading that way price wise too...

[watto]

IMHO I would learn how to drive in something cheap and reliable. Both my brother TOMO and I learnt and drove on our P's in a VB commodore. Yes bogan car but it tought us to do the things that would later help us in the RS. I purchased my RS after 6months of having my licence and was just long enough that I knew how are car handled and what if I did this the car would do that. i cant imagine the fright a first time driver would get if he/she is flying into a corner and gets lift off oversteer!! They would have no idea. I have had a few cars in my time including a Datto 1600 and I would say wait a little and learn alot before jumping into the seat of a RS because alot are modded these days and are lot quicker than a standard one. Keep your heart on an RS while your learning and you wont be dissapointed in anything when you jump into the cockpit

[whitey]

Get something to learn in. I had a 1.3L 323 then a 1.6L turbo tx3 then the RS then the GT.

A turbo car like an RS can get you in to trouble really quickely. Ie 1-3 reldine and your going 160kph. In the wet its worse as you can accelerate very fast but you have no control.

Learn to drive in somthing small and cheap. Once you have had it for a year or so you will appreciate an RS more. If its your fiest car you will love it to bits anyway.

I would go a GX if I was you, 2L boxer AWD, cheaper with insurance and gas and a good platform to learn in. Will still look good lowered with some mags and as said earlier its not that much of a big deal to put a turbo engine in it.

[Rallyeee]

Here's what I would do if I was in your position;

Buy a good example of a GX (if you can afford an RS you can afford the newer Gen 2).

Do a few minor power mods like intake, filter, exhaust, etc. Make it look how you want and get a good stereo and some nice bucket seats to hold you nice and firm when you start driving a little faster.

Then just go ballistic on suspension and brake mods. Through the twisties you'll end up having a car that's faster than a stock RS and pretty much anything other car as well. Then when you feel you really want a bit more power, do the conversion. This way both you and the car will be much more ready for the power and you will have a very well rounded and well set up car.

[RSTurbo]

thanks RSTURBO i see u go for richmond? so do i , i have heaps of jersys and other stuff.

back to cars

what year RS do u have and what is the best gen 1

yes im a richmond man, have been a member for a lot of years.

my RS is a 92 model, but 91-94 are pretty much the same.

..listen to what these guys are telling you and you wont go far wrong. get a cheap underpowered car, FWD or RWD, drive it and drive it, learn to respect the road, the car, and the other people on the road...and once this happens, get whatever car your heart desires.

[evil_rex]

thanks guys, i thought about it last night a i will proberly buy a GX gen 1/gen 2 and mod it a bit then later put in a WRX/RS. or should i turbo the original engine?

[sepsis]

thanks guys, i thought about it last night a i will proberly buy a GX gen 1/gen 2 and mod it a bit then later put in a WRX/RS. or should i turbo the original engine?

would be easier to drop in a full EJ20T from an RS front-cut mate, there is heaps of information on such conversions available on this forum, just search for "conversion(s)" in the search section

cheers

[evil_rex]

SEPSIS your a legend!!!!

i have learnt so much on this forum and from every one else

i really like your silver 93 RS type-RA it looks mad as, is that a series two?

[ital]

. .

[sepsis]

SEPSIS your a legend!!!!

i have learnt so much on this forum and from every one else

i really like your silver 93 RS type-RA it looks mad as, is that a series two?

for sure mate its a great resource

nope series1, it was a very fun car - unfortuantely its a burnt out shell now and I drive a slowly-falling-to-bits '92 RS these days

[naif]

mate a GX is just as fun as a RS, the 2.2 NA has enough balls, been driving my mates GX wagz around yesterday and it is still fun, altho i keep telling him theres soemthing wrong with it LOL.
my old NA EJ22 could pull on ej20T's ....until their turbo kicked in :(

a GX is a good option, got all the benefits of owning a subaru and they have all the luxury you could ever need :D

conversions are really good, and is a really good option for later on down the track...

[Bazza]

The only problem with the GX is the gearbox... it lasted me 20 days before the toothfairy came. However the AWD and suspension is so good and make for such a fun road car I wish I'd had one for first car....

[evil_rex]

ok i think i will be buying a GX and lowering it and mags and exhaust.
will it still make the beefy roar like it bigger brother(b4/wrx)

[naif]

hahaha yeah if you choose the right exhaust system, they sound sweet :D

[evil_rex]

nice, today my friends got the %#!&'s cos i said iam not buying a turbo car but i said well i dont want to kill myself first

[Raz]

mayby shows how far furthur intellectually advanced you are over your friends!! You've made a courageous and applaudable decision...WD!!!

[sepsis]

mayby shows how far furthur intellectually advanced you are over your friends!! You've made a courageous and applaudable decision...WD!!!

yep indeed, mature choice.

how long do you guys have you're P plates for? hope to see an EJ20T in the bay not long after you're fully licenced!

[LegacyLout]

I am scared to think which cemetary I would be in if the RS was my first car.......

Been driving over 11 years now, never caused an accident, but been the victim of a few.

When I was 17 - 18 and thinking back about to some of the stupid **** you do, intentionally and unintentionally... If I was in a RS with the acceleration and power Id most certainly be dead or a paraplegic.

I think the common problem is, the more powerful a car you have, the gaps and spaces you think you can slide into become smaller and the risks you take become greater cause you think you have the power to drive out of them......... so wrong.

Just dont drive like a knob or its pretty guaranteed something will happen to you and your loved RS...... thats my daddy speech over.....

[sepsis]

I'm sure you would have been fine in an RS LegacyLout, you are right though the margin for error gets smaller.

but I still stand by my earlier statement that the RS is a forgiving car, and frankly lets face it is pretty gutless in stock\standard form. its not until you do the basic intake\exhaust mods and tamper with the boost when things get a little more dangerous with more explosive accelleration.

[evil_rex]

well in ACT you can get you P's at 17 then you have to have them for 3 years

[evil_rex]

but you can do A special course called '(P...off) which gets rid of your P plates and gives you an additional 4 demerit points allowance if you do this course.

[Geach]

i wanted a V8 holden ute when i got my P's. i found a mint red HJ with a warm 308 right around the corner, took for a spin and fell in love..... mum and dad said hell no and the insurance was rude....

like a lot of people have said, i too would written it off or worse if I bought it.

I ended up in a 1990 L series wagon i had that for 3 years before i bought my RS Wagon at xmas 2004.

the L series was best thing i could have got, i learned about incremental modifications, carby's, weber's, air intakes, timing, dizzies, oil, etc etc, all about car maintainence too. www.ausubaru.com taught me shiteloads!! i strongly believe 'understanding' (i mean pulling cars apart and putting them together again) makes you much a better driver.

i spent a relative fortune (for a uni student) on the wags, eventually lifting 2"s a putting a turbo motor into it too (ea82t). it wasn't a rocket, it sounded tough and taught me about turbos.

then i graduated from uni, got a job, a loan and an RS....

the best attitude in the world doesn't make a difference without experience. we all know how you get that.

any soob is a good option, i would lean towards the older ones like L series wagons forall of the reasons above, also
- you can get your mates and heaps of gear in
- they can sound good with an exhaust
- you can pull the carby ones apart really easily
- fair few mods for them - including turbos
- learn about understeer, prepares you for AWD
- cheap to insure
- cheap to run

one downside is they are pretty gutless in stock form, but it makes you appreciate it when you mod them, or buy an RS.

[Xmetal]

I'll continue on with the 'buy a GX' theme:

My GX is not the fastest or best looking girl on the block but it still does its job of getting me to work and other places without any hassle. An RS as a first car would be nice but since you're only a P Plater then you should steer away from the Turbo cars until you have your full licence because you will learn the fundamentals of driving in a slow car quicker than in a Turbo car.

What you do to your GX is up to you, no one is pushing you to modify it at all. Mine was a hand-down from my olds and I haven't really got much incentive to modify it too much because it'll just end up costing more money. All I was thinking of doing was: Exhaust, Wheels, Springs, Sound System, tinted windows and a damn good alarm after reading TNT RS's thread.

At the end of the day it's your money but if I were you i'd buy a GX to start with and then later down the track maybe buy an RS or GT.

[WogRS]

I agree Xmetal the stupid crap i did in my GX when i was first on my P's would have cost me my life if i had an RS. Wait till you get ur greens before you think about buying a turbo. But u cant now till you are on your full liscence.

[Jim]

yeah agree on the GX .. after seeing what happend to LowLib2.2's Legacy ... ive had my GX wagon for almost 2 months now and i love it! its got some balls and its roomy and i can fit all my gear in it .. i saw a post mentioning a few performance upgrades on the Gx Engine!? i figured the conversion isnt exactly in my price range atm .. but im putting LowLibs RS Wheels on mine and a Gen1 RS bumper on the front .. i also have big SUBARU vinyls on the back passanger doors :)

http://storage.msn.com/x1pKouN4nZmbX1z-AC2LBahb3C1gx9hDPw8yfaOvrpSP8NwmkxGCN8qVdZC

[bosc0]

How old are you WogRS?

[WogRS]

18 bro- im on my greens now.

[DiscostU]

I would buy a GX do all the things you want to like handling, it will handle just as good as a RS and you will get a better understanding and appreciation of the car and build your driving ability and then boost it.

insurance wont bite as hard then either

[WogRS]

I would buy a GX do all the things you want to like handling, it will handle just as good as a RS and you will get a better understanding and appreciation of the car and build your driving ability and then boost it.

insurance wont bite as hard then either

i wouldnt be too sure. ive got a fwd lib, and i almost killed myself a dozen times in it when i first got my P's. Especially in the wet!

And comprehensive insurance still costs me 2k a year!

[GTlegs]

I ended up in a 1990 L series wagon i had that for 3 years before i bought my RS Wagon at xmas 2004.

the L series was best thing i could have got, i learned about incremental modifications, carby's, weber's, air intakes, timing, dizzies, oil, etc etc, all about car maintainence too. www.ausubaru.com taught me shiteloads!! i strongly believe 'understanding' (i mean pulling cars apart and putting them together again) makes you much a better driver.

i spent a relative fortune (for a uni student) on the wags, eventually lifting 2"s a putting a turbo motor into it too (ea82t). it wasn't a rocket, it sounded tough and taught me about turbos.



Go the 'L's I say !

[blk_legacy]

yeah, i bought an rs legacy for my first car and im lovin it, but all good things come at a cost,

- $ the car say $12, 000 (For an exellent example of an rs)
- $ 2700 for insurance (maybe more)
- look on your mate in his commonhore wen you rip him, price less lol ;-)

ahwell if you can afford it, it is a good bet but be very careful turbo cars will be the undoing of some drivers, garunteed you will have an incident to...

[Raz]

i wouldnt be too sure. ive got a fwd lib, and i almost killed myself a dozen times in it when i first got my P's. Especially in the wet!


With all due respect, I would say this says more about you than the car. How many P platers out there are driving 2wd cars of a lesser build and safety quality?

[WogRS]

thats tru but i know many of them who have had major accidents too. thank the lord i never had an accident because of my stupidity in my early driving days. I was drifting every corner and revving the hell out of it all the time, i drove like a moron.

[Bigtim11]

on a personal level.....
doesnt matter what car it is most p platers will hoon, i learnt my lesson after doing something really stupid, it scared the **** out of me and lucky for me only cost me 40 bucks.
ever since then my attitude in the car has changed.

almost every fwd gx driver wishes they bought the turbo model but its really not needed......
(two macdonalds trays under the rear wheels with the handbrake engaged ;) private property ofcourse)

on topic - i dont have a first hand experience of 'is a rs a good first car' but if i was to look for my first car again......i dont think i would have chosen an rs....
but for you, i reckon you should get an excel - something that you can reach your full potential in :)

[WogRS]

almost every fwd gx driver wishes they bought the turbo model but its really not needed......
(two macdonalds trays under the rear wheels with the handbrake engaged ;) private property ofcourse)


I am yet to try that i hear its alot of fun!

[evil_rex]

yeah i think i will get the GX as that is what would be the most sensible ( i think)
then put an EJ20T in it and do some mild mods. cheaper insurance to do that than buy a stock RS.( arcording to justcar insurance.)

[vaccine]

get a gx.. can always turbo convert her at a later stage.
can score the series 1 now for around 5-6g's with good kms.
a gx with suspension mods rock. then when you kill the engine, gt transplant ;)

[evil_rex]

yeah Gen 1 would be the go maybe a series 2

[Bigtim11]

There will probably be a gen 2 sedan for sale coming up in a few months.......

[WogRS]

you selling up?

[jwvdg]

Totally all of the above! Insurance is a killer, some minor mods and the thing will have more power than you will know what to do with! My first car was a GX, and I got pulled over for power oversteer and speeding in tht! I'm on my third gear box in 8 months, (not RS boxes either, mint later model rexy boxes, its a killer!) and despite 4 years driving experience I managed to crash the RS in the wet, and had not had a crash since the school days in my parents tarago. Get a GX and go loose in that, and get an RS in a coupla years.

[jwvdg]

[QUOTE=Bigtim11].

almost every fwd gx driver wishes they bought the turbo model but its really not needed......
QUOTE]

to the best of my knowledge the GX was AWD, only the LX was FWD.

If you do a conversion, you also have to do braks, running gear and suspension just to get it to the same level as the RS. By the time you've spent maybe 5k on a good conversion you may as well have bought an Aus delivered RS, and have yourself a piece of history I know coz I looked into it when I had a GX.

[Raz]

so what are you saying jwvdg....to my reading your second post appears to contradict, by way off connotations, your first post!

[Karl]

I was in the same boat as you a few months ago, but i got the same talking down from alot of people, sisters, brother in laws and pashn8 included. Im glad for it too i probably would have already had an accident by now.
Got a pretty good example, that might not of been touched, of why not to buy a turbo, most of my Rexy driving or turbo driving mates give me **** cos i have been driving N/A cars (Pulsar , N/A Liberty) for about a year and a half. A few of them have blown Turbo's from mistreating their cars and im laughing cos i dont have to get up for work everyday n fork out the money to rebuild or replace a turbo. I Know i've still got alot of life ahead of me (knock on wood) to buy an RS or Rexy later and not pay have to pay so much insurance or maintenance bills for it. Besides i think any liberty 4wd is great, their alot of fun to drive and you will stand out from alot of your friends.

[Bigtim11]

Wog RS - yes will be selling up soon....after i get a few things fixed up and have found my next car.....wont be for many months tho, but its on the table....

jwvdg - news just in.....i got a second gen 94 model gx FWD....gotta love it

[jwvdg]

so what are you saying jwvdg....to my reading your second post appears to contradict, by way off connotations, your first post!

Yeah Iknow, the first post was my sensible side and the second one was a "god I love my RS" after thought!

[jwvdg]

jwvdg - news just in.....i got a second gen 94 model gx FWD....gotta love it

Sorry, my friend Ignoramus posted that!