My wife's idea... honest.

[Rummie]

Earlier this year my wife got fed up with her 2011 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and told me to sell it and she would start taking my car to work. Took time to get a good offer but eventually sold it and she then said to go buy a WRX and she would keep my car until she found a car she liked... whatever you say dear...

Didn't take long to get the debadge done, the next morning I believe. Then did the tails and side markers. Then painted the OEM wheels and calipers. Then the grill and Subaru star emblems. Basically removed all the gunmetal and silvery plastic and painted them. Including the interior console stuff. Same color as the wheels Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze with a coat of "Antique Copper" (I have no idea what that means, it just says it on the can, doesn't look like any old copper I have ever seen) underneath showing through in certain worn areas. The center console actually turned out really close to the dash piece that holds the climate control. Dials changed to "Antique" copper as well.

Just painting stuff while we sell a flip house I finished and get ready to move or build a new home (just closed on 5 acres to build in OKC but my wife is looking to get a new job so we could end up just about anywhere). Actual upgrades of the suspension and power will be coming later on this year. Keeping things cheap for now while we figure out our future, but I love this car. I always said the OBS just lacked a manual and some power, but I got a great deal on it and that was what I could afford at the time. My wife had a Mustang GT before her Jeep so I have no clue how she can roll in an Impreza and not lose her mind.

[christiangordon]

Lucky you!

[michaelwfox]

Interesting color on the dials.

[11blackwrx]

what did you use for your tail lights?

[Deciphe]

Those tails look so much better I dislike the clear lamps.

[rage-wrx]

She's a keeper.

[Rummie]

Interesting color on the dials.

I hate the silver and grey accents all over the car. Nothing a bit of tape and spray cant fix.

I used Duplicolor metalcast over some adhesion promotor with a quick coat of some uv safe clear on the tails and high mount brake light. Took several coats of red to get the right shade. Took a day, overlays probably easier choice, but paint is cheap and i have lots of time.

Oh i dislike the clear too but on the OBS they look fine to me, there is plenty of chrome and it all looks put together.

[Ruh Roh]

looks good, i like the side by side pic, just looking at the differences, post some more pics like that when u have time please

[xFalleNx]

Get a new wi.....


wait, nvm...keep her dude!

[Rummie]

Got bored, did the headlights in Oil Rubbed Bronze... mixed reviews on if the HID get hot enough to peel non high temp paint, as with most things on the internet lots of vocal opponents and proponents... I will find out the hard way. Just preferred the look of the 2011 (2010 too? Saw an obs with them) blacked out sections but didnt want to go full blackout, some reflectors left just for the appearance of safety.

Broke out my sewing machine, time to find out if I can remember what all the gizmos do, possibly get into some upholstery work for the first time in a decade. Hopefully it's like riding a bike or driving stick. Once I remodel the master bath I mean... Priorities. Wallpaper must die!

Later all.

[mangostick]

I was really curious what the '11 wheels looked like in black.. I've been thinking about powdercoating the set I have in gloss or hyper black (like a black chome) I used tail light tint to do my subaru symbol in rear.. then wetsanded to get the fade (dark outsides, light in center) look. I like what you've done with it. Subtle but enough to pop nicely.

I see this and aside of the gold.. a lot of what you've done are very similar if not same as what I've done with mine. Big difference is that mine is OBP so it looks all blacked out.

I'd not worry about the headlights. Balasts get hot on HID setups.. the bulbs themselves work like florescents do. They dont really throw heat like a halogen will. I've got H11's in mine and the insets painted with non-high heat paint like yours. So far no issues with almost a year on them.

Lookin good though man, keep us posted! Kudo's to the better half as well!!

[JoeyC]

How did you take the knobs off on the interior? I might do mine satin white to
Match the exterior

[tigastt]

awesome!

[Rummie]

How did you take the knobs off on the interior? I might do mine satin white to
Match the exterior

You can see most of it because there is a Youtube video of a guy taking apart the center console of an Impreza (not sure year 09 maybe or model could be wrx even) anyway, he does a quick demonstration of how to get the stereo bezel out (for a stereo swap) and you need to partially remove the swooping center dash trim piece that holds the climate control and side vents. Once I got that far I just yanked (literally, I wouldn't recommend doing that I got lucky and nothing broke) the cluster shroud off, it took a lot of fiddling but eventually the shroud just pops off and you can take the dash trim piece the rest of the way out, unplug the harnesses and its free. The controls themselves are in a single module you can remove from the trim with a few screws and some pretty sturdy clips.

Then just taped up everything that wasn't a dial, masked off the little lights on the dials (hardest part). Sprayed some adhesion promoter a couple light coats of paint and some satin clear coat. Waited till the next day to put it all back together. The photo doesn't do the color justice, it looks much better in person. Just finishing up the door arm rests this week to be rid of the dark grey. It was the only thing I have done that my wife has noticed.

I probably should have waited till I do a stereo swap and just do it all at once, but since the stock stereo isn't all that bad I don't know when that will be. (Haters don't hate, I know its a crap system however, I have a 1 year old with me everywhere I go. Stereo sounds great at 7, sometimes I get crazy and go to 8... and I never get to go louder. Besides, it is brilliant compared to the 09 Impreza stock stereo... probably a bad comparison, like lumpy poo to runny poo)

Found the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32gkc9n5LgE

Video for the cluster shroud http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4Opm0dhHDo

[Calvinball]

Lumpy poo to runny poo...hahahaha