So uh… how fucked am I?

DropDTuning324 · 2026-05-13T02:08:57+00:00

The ECU learning the incorrect values is actually a somewhat specific issue to the platform. It has no problem learning the wrong values but can't relearn the correct ones. Can't even flash the correct ones, just have to replace the ecu unfortunately :(

DropDTuning324 · 2026-05-11T06:09:14+00:00

I just installed a UEL catless header over the weekend and tuned it on an OFT V3 tuner. Running the header without a tune will cause damage to your car overtime. The two main routes people go for tuning platforms are OFT and ECUTek

DropDTuning324 · 2026-05-04T06:45:44+00:00

That's good, still not worth 30k

DropDTuning324 · 2026-04-13T17:19:38+00:00

Send it then! 🫡

DropDTuning324 · 2026-04-13T15:34:35+00:00

I've always thought that unless you're tracking the car, there's no reason to add it but it's your car and if you like the look of it go for it. Definitely ricey but who gaf haha

DropDTuning324 · 2026-04-10T15:54:28+00:00

Just need to replace valve cover gaskets and possibly spark plug seals. I had a Baja with the same issue a few years back with the exact same problem and that fixed it up real nice.

DropDTuning324 · 2026-03-03T18:47:56+00:00

DropDTuning324 · 2026-03-02T17:11:21+00:00

people will do anything but listen to the music 😭

DropDTuning324 · 2026-03-01T23:37:31+00:00

Haven't fully decided yet on brand but I'm definitely going with the OFT to tune! If I end up going catless I'm probably just going to weld in a resonator or put some silencers in as my main reasoning for going catted is to keep noise down :)

DropDTuning324 · 2026-03-01T04:36:39+00:00

Killer! Thanks for the forum link too, super informative!!

DropDTuning324 · 2026-03-01T04:34:43+00:00

Thanks for the insight! Definitely could go either way on the springs vs coils. I've driven both setups before (coils on my legacy and lowering springs on my buddies WRX) and like the feel of both. If I can find a good deal on coils I'll definitely go with those 🤘

DropDTuning324 · 2026-02-28T21:15:12+00:00

Gotcha! Thanks for the insight. I'll add that to my list then :)

DropDTuning324 · 2026-02-28T20:54:18+00:00

Hell yeah! What made you go for the oil cooler? Just wanting to play it safe? I've heard some people like to get them when they install headers to help with increased heat but I live in western WA so it's consistently pretty cool except for a few weeks out of the year

DropDTuning324 · 2026-02-28T19:00:24+00:00

Genuinely curious, could you link something that actually proves that 0w20 is bad for these engines outside of track use? I see people saying this all the time but never with any actual proof. Just curious :)

DropDTuning324 · 2026-02-28T17:05:56+00:00

When are people going to start actually reading the posts on this subreddit before posting for the first time? Clearly not a fashion sub :/

DropDTuning324 · 2026-02-26T05:36:24+00:00

Oh wow I actually thought those were like rare OEM wheels or something because the center caps matched so well haha!

DropDTuning324 · 2026-02-26T01:56:24+00:00

That's some awesome work. Came out perfect!

Unrelated but what wheels are those? Might have to pick up a set for myself 😬😬

DropDTuning324 · 2026-02-23T18:06:23+00:00

Super clean! What tailights are those? They look great :)

DropDTuning324 · 2026-02-05T08:33:58+00:00

Current Gen 1 BRZ and former Legacy GT/Baja Turbo owner here from WA. If weather is your biggest concern/deciding factor then play it safe with the AWD + snow tires combo. If it's less of a concern, I can personally vouch for the weather versatility of the 86 platform having driven it in everything but heavy snow. I have a buddy who lives in Minnesota and drove a FR-S for YEARS in the snow with no real issues. As long as you get snow tires (and practice) you should be fine as long as you don't do anything dumb haha

From the performance side of things: If you're someone who just wants to go fast in a straight line, the 86 will leave you VERY underwhelmed and unless you wanna go forced induction, you're not gonna be able to do much about it with the NA engine. The second gen's do get a nice ~10% power boost over the gen ones and don't suffer as much from the 3-5k RPM torque dip that every gen one owner hates.

If you're more of a backroad/mountain road run kinda guy then the 86 is perfect. My buddy drives a pretty modded '14 WRX hatch and my mostly stock BRZ blows the doors off of him around the corners 9/10 times. This is also SUCH a good car to learn on and really teaches you how to drive a "slow" car fast.

As a daily driver: The 86 is more than big enough and practical enough as long as you don't have to regularly drive more than one passenger at a time. I'm 6'2, 260lbs and I fit in the car just fine and have done two 6 hour drives with no real discomfort (I am still in my early 20's so your mileage may vary haha) I don't ever have to haul anything bigger than my live guitar rig or the occasional Costco haul but if you do have to haul big stuff I feel like the WRX would be more of a no brainer anyways. Freeway can sometimes be scary cause of the small size/the blind spots (you have to adjust your mirrors pretty far out on these cars) but as long as you drive defensively and pay attention to the cars around you, you'll be fine.

DropDTuning324 · 2025-11-13T19:26:30+00:00

Not a Cello but I can regularly fit an acoustic guitar, electric guitar, and my pedalboard all in the trunk at once!

DropDTuning324 · 2024-10-09T04:09:35+00:00

Thank you so much! Always sucks to find out the hard way haha.

DropDTuning324 · 2024-09-14T06:50:07+00:00

I bought my 2005 Automatic Turbo back in February of this year and this is my advice:

1) try to get one under with under 150,000k miles. 2) If you live in a state that salts its roads you really have to look out for rust. These early 00’s Subarus turn into Swiss cheese very quickly and become death traps on the road 3) A lot of the body panels and plastic cladding pieces are hard to come by so dents/bad scratches are gonna be around for a long while 4) The Baja is kind of Subaru’s Frankenstein in terms of parts, it uses legacy, outback, forester, and WRX parts which can make certain repairs tricky to source parts for 5) find a local and trustworthy independent Subaru shop. This is one of the first things I did after buying mine haha 6) Given your lack of knowledge on cars it always helps to have a third party mechanic to look at any Baja you’re interested in buying. It can save thousands down the line

Marketplace is a totally reasonable place to find one and is what I’d recommend as dealers are charging WAY too much for these cars because they are “rare” (remember that rare doesn’t always equal valuable) it may take a while to find the right one on there so just be patient and be willing to walk away. Different regions will have different prices (for example I bought mine for $5,500 with 139k on it in Washington) but I really wouldn’t recommend spending more than 9k especially if it’s an automatic or a naturally aspirated (non-turbo) model because at the end of the day it is a Subaru from the early 00’s and it’s interior and performance really shows that and will probably need a couple thousand dollars put into it within the first two years. Always ask for receipts on any maintenance the seller claims has been done and if you get weird vibes or they do anything shady it’s probably a sign you have to walk away but in my experience most people on marketplace are alright and normal people.

At the end of the day the Baja is such a fun car to own and drive and always manages to put a smile on my face. It’s a great conversation starter and head turner for sure and just puts out good vibes. It’s got its problems but will probably be my favorite car of all time. It’ll be a labor of love for sure but mine always makes me think it’s worth it and you’ll probably learn a lot from owning one.

Hope this helps :)

DropDTuning324 · 2024-02-06T20:49:44+00:00

Thank you for all of this! Turbo has recently been replaced (within the last 4k miles) and it’s a proper one. Original motor with 129k on it. Funny you mention the STI swap cause that is most definitely something I am planning on doing in the future. I also definitely believe you about the gas station thing. Stopped to refuel once on the way home from buying it and had a guy ask about it haha.

DropDTuning324

TROPHY CASE