Quote:
Originally Posted by nalc
I ended up using approximately 80 sq ft of MLV (minus scraps, so probably 70 lbs into the car), 45 CLD tiles (could have used more), 25 sq ft of 3M Thinsulate Acoustic, and 4 sheets of closed cell foam.
I don't know, probably a good 30-40 hours working it alone over the course of a month or two. It wasn't a 1-day job. I had a handful of times I just did the entire afternoon working on it. Although I did drive the car during the process, so it'd be faster if you dedicated a weekend to it, because a fair amount of my time was assembly and reassembly (I'd take off a panel, work on it, then put it back together). In terms of budgeting your time, the biggest piece is the floor. I did it over a couple days so I had the seats in and out multiple times, if you could dedicate a solid day to it, I think you could bang it out, and then just do the doors separately at your convenience. Having a helper would speed things up immensely - a lot of my time was going back and forth betweeen tools, going back to measure things. if you had one person just cutting material and a person just installing it it'd go much faster. I also got the JDM interior pieces AFTER doing the sound deadening, so I had to have a lot of that taken apart a second time.
I got it all from Sound Deadener Showdown.
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Thanks for your detailed reply!
Per
SDS: the FR-S kit is $667.15 + shipping.
Installation at
Beaver Street Collision & Restoration for a Compact Sedan / Hatchback = 14 hours and $1025.00 (You saved a great deal doing it yourself!)
Quote:
Originally Posted by nalc
It's tough to say. I don't think I would be happy with the stock car 3 years later. I like everything about the new Impreza except for the vague 5-speed gearbox and anemic 148bhp engine. If they had an Impreza hatch with a BRZ gearbox and a 200hp motor I'd have been all over it. The reason I didn't go for a WRX in 2013 was the high price, crappy gas mileage, and the fact it was based on a previous generation Impreza.
That being said, every couple of months I'll drive past someone, usually a teenage boy, who shouts "Cool car, man!" at me, which I don't think you get in an Impreza.
In terms of non-Subarus, I'm too tall for a Miata and I got sick of FWD after a torque-steery, wheel-hoppy '97 Maxima, although to be honest I think I'd be pretty happy with a modern FWD sporty car with a manual gearbox. But the BRZ is cooler.
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Agreed:
- a hatchback is more versatile
- AWD = lower MPG (now frequently offered with a continuously-variable AT
to compensate)
- BRZ / FR-S is cooler. Low center of gravity, F/R balance, LSD, RWD. However, I see gripes about the paint, torque-dip, and that it's loud. Mods to address these issues of course adds to the total cost of ownership.
What other modern FWD sporty cars?
- Ford Focus ST (reliability?)
- Mazda3 5-door SKYACTIV
- Mazda3speed 1st or 2nd gen (torque steer)
- Mini Cooper (reliability?)
- VW GTI (corporate ethics, reliability?)
- Something else in the same price range?
Thanks!