First Things First

Allow me to introduce you to my Lightning Red 2015 WRX. Known for her renowned and unmistakable beauty, I gave her the name Seolhyun. She became mine brand new on April 13th, 2015 for just shy of $30k, and we've already been through quite a journey thus far. She lives with my wife and I in sunny Oahu, HI and hopefully lasts for a lifetime. I started this blog in order to keep track of our personal journey, as well as for other car enthusiasts to enjoy. Thanks for visiting!

Due to there only being one Subaru dealership on Island, certain bartering tactics can't really be utilized and selection is pretty limited. I went with the Base model because I am not much for creature comforts and I save loads of money that I would much rather spend on aftermarket goodies and unique touches here and there. After all, I would love if she stayed in my life forever. Mandatory photos of her arriving at her new home.

It didn't take long for me to break it in and every mile was flawless and enjoyable. At this point, I had a few rough ideas on the direction I wanted to take the car in, and what better feeling to have than a brand new drawing board to work on!

At this point, I had purchased a few goodies here and there. An AEM Intake, Cobb Delete Plate, GrimmSpeed License Plate Relocator, Perrin Radiator Shroud, etc. Funny thing is, I am actually not running any of these on my current setup. HAR HAR. ^_~

I had definitely taken this car on some spirited runs, and we have a few mountain paths here, so I can't deny that I used to enjoy breaking her open on occasional hairpins. It was all fun and games until the unthinkable happened. Towards the end of May, I got into an accident on my way back down on Tantalus mountain path, slipping on a wet path of road covered in leaves, and striking a tree right between my two passenger doors. With the body and doors bent, side skirt destroyed, and heart bruised badly, I limped home fearing the worst and to take the next course of action.

I was recommended by fellow Subaru enthusiasts to take my car to Oka's Auto Body in Waipahu because the owner (Brandon) is also a fellow Subaru enthusiast and assured me that he and his shop would take good care of my car. I still drove the car for a few weeks while waiting for the appointment to come around, and managed to blow my motor up at ~1300miles, requiring an entirely new longblock and overhaul before I could even have it taken to the body shop. But that's a story for another day. Brandon and his crew at Oka's did a great job on my car after the new longblock was put in, and after 2 long months of agony and patience, I finally got Seolhyun back!

With the car back, I proceeded to break the engine in for another 1000miles and drove with new found caution and respect for the limits of her. Then came preps for Stage 2 catless turboback, all starting again from square one and a new longblock to work with. Custom plates and side window deflectors. Teehee. ^_^