For handling:

-Spring kit (G.R.I.P, Eibach, Tein) 3 choices all under $250 all offered at RoadRaceMotorsports.com
-Camber kit $89 from RRM (AFTER you drop the ride height with the above)
-Idk if you consider 549 dollars cheap, if yes get the full suspension pkg they (RRM) offers
-If you don't think thats cheap, get the rear anti sway bar for $209

^ There is a lot more than you can do, but those 3 will really make the car handle much better.

For performance (ie whp/tq):

-SRI for $229, I personally have the RRM one and love it, these cars benefit more from an SRI rather than a CAI as according to a few different tuners that I talked to
-Lightweight pulley ~$140 RPW and RRM both offer a good one
-An Exhaust system, prices range from ~$400 and up shop around find one you like
-ECU Reflash, I suggest the one offered by WORKS for $299

I'm not saying that these mods will magically transform your GTS into an Evo, they won't at all. If done properly, they will give the car a nice kick and you will see gains in acceleration and handling. Most importantly, the car will be a lot more fun to drive, and it will be easily capable of handling anything that you might throw at it when it comes to DAILY DRIVING (ie. not trying to race cars with 300+whp on the street, which is illegal anyway

Feel free to ask/pm me if you would be interested in more ideas or if you have any questions.

Mark

 

This is a response from a point of experience and should be trusted. I am speaking from the standpoint of the typical car nut who wants one of everything from F150 Raptors, to MKII GTis to 911s, to C10 Skylines. My entire life has been spent searching for cars that give a little something extra for the price point and I have little brand loyalty.

I saw most of Mark's recommendations when I researched these cars on page 1 of this thread. These were the ones that amounted to $1200 worth of mods for 10hp... or so I read. I also read that you are basically done at that point unless you want to go forced induction for considerably more money.

Keeping in mind your $13k price point and the ~$2k of mods above, you could find a MS3 for $15k, or a MKV GTI for $13k and pocket the $2k. You mention insurance as a concern, so definitely check either of these before making a move.

There is nothing wrong with the GTS, and the build above would make for an entertaining car in my eyes. But if you are buying it because you are not happy with the performance of your OZ, I don't know if the GTS is going to help you.

 

One thought from my experience...

January 2003 - purchase a barely-used 2002 OZ
early 2005 - want more power & AWD, purchase a used Subaru 2.5rs
May 2007 - Subaru falling apart, purchase a 2008 GTS
May 2008 - dislike GTS & payments too high, trade it in for a Ford Explorer
Right now - planning to sell the Explorer and just buy a nice used Lancer OZ

Unless you truly need to get rid of it, keep the OZ. You may end up much happier in the long run. Yes, the "grass is always greener" with getting something new and different. But if you really love your car, you'll wish you never got rid of it. I can't tell you how much I regret selling my OZ after all these years.

 

What were your payments on the GTS?

 

Right about $400 per month.

 

How much was the total cost of your car?

I know they usually go for 18k, but I know I can get it for probably 12-13k which is like 2-3k more then my Oz haha.

Back when I got my Oz, I didn't know how to haggle haha... now I do.

I have great credit with great financing through my credit union. I pay $204 a month for my Oz, so I would see a $100 maximum increase in my payments I can comfortable afford that.

 

get a 2006 lancer ralliart.
Keep the same weight, with the hp of the new lancer, plus they can be found for veryy good prices.

 

I know nothing about 06 RA's, but this sounds like a pretty good idea to me to gain the bit of extra power without putting on the 300 lbs.

 

06 ralliart is a 2.4liter mivec 4g69. with 160hp 160tq and its also light weight like your oz. AND you can probably break even on the trade in so you dont lose equity by getting a more expensive car,(assuming you still owe a good amount on the oz). they are very fun cars to drive imo. pretty torquey and i believe can run a 15 sec 1/4 mile.

 

I had a little bit of negative equity. But the car was pretty pricey. GTS with the stereo package. God knows what else. I thought I was getting a raise. It was really irresponsible of me.

Well Hell, now I want that instead of an OZ.

 

I went from an 05 Subaru Impreza 2.5 Rs auto with 165chp to an 03 evo 8 with 500chp and my first 5 speed....buy an evo

 

spring kit is good if you wanna lower your car. handling is better but it will destroy your topmounts if you keep the stock struts. i know from experience. i made the mistake of getting springs and hammering turns. ended up buying coils to fix the problem. huge difference. springs are way overrated.

and SRI's barely do anything for your car. they make them sound cooler. CAI are better for the car then SRI. SRI force hot air from the engine bay into your engine. granted, more air is forced into the engine, but think of it this way. can you sprint a mile better in boiling hot muggy air or nice crisp cold air? i dont mean to bash SRI's. i have one myself and am now too lazy and uninterested in buying a CAI to replace since i already spent the money. but its food for thought. however, i digress, i have a manual 2010 GTS and the clutch on this car is like no other. so smooth, very easy to learn on. i say get a couple crash lessons from a friend or someone you know, then test drive!

 

great input, you should definitely consider this.