Marcus Reyes
Editor & Lead WRX Technician
Boxer-engine specialist. EJ and FA platforms, street and stage.
Marcus Reyes runs the garage side of wrx.parts. The focus is simple: turn a decade-plus of hands-on time under Subaru boxers into buying advice an owner can actually use — which part fits which chassis, what's worth the money, and where the used/OEM route beats buying new.
The bench experience spans both engine families the WRX has shipped: the turbo EJ25 of the GD/GR/VA cars (ringlands, banjo-bolt oil feeds, timing-belt services, the classic wheel bearings) and the FA20/FA24 of the VA and VB (direct-injection carbon, oil-consumption checks, chain-driven valvetrains). That split matters — half the bad WRX advice online comes from applying EJ wisdom to an FA car, or vice versa.
Every guide here is written to the same test: would a WRX owner who wrenches on their own car nod along? Picks are made on fit, reliability, and value — never on who pays the most. New and consumable parts point to Amazon; used, OEM, and salvage parts point to eBay Motors, because that's genuinely where those parts live. Prices are always the seller's, never ours.
Written by Marcus Reyes
Choosing WRX LED Headlights: Bulbs vs. Housings & Fitment
Upgrade your Subaru WRX's lighting the right way — LED bulb swaps vs. full housing assemblies vs. restoration, how to identify your exact bulb type, generation-specific fitment, and troubleshooting a botched install.
RoundupBest WRX Exterior & Aero Accessories to Buy
A roundup of the exterior and aero upgrades worth adding to a Subaru WRX — front lips, splitters, spoilers, wings, and diffusers that sharpen the look and add real downforce.
GuideBest WRX Brake Upgrades: Fluid, Pads, Lines, Rotors & Big-Brake Kits
The Subaru WRX brake upgrade order that actually works — diagnose the symptom first, then fluid (with the DOT boiling-point spec table), pads, stainless lines, rotors, ducting, and when a big-brake kit or STI Brembo swap is genuinely worth it.
GuideWRX Coilovers & Lowering Springs: How to Choose, Read a Spec Sheet & Fit Them Right
The Subaru WRX suspension buying decision — springs vs. coilovers vs. matched kits, how to read spring rate, monotube vs. twin-tube and true full-length height adjustment, the 2007/2008 rear fitment split, and what you must buy alongside.
GuideWRX Suspension Explained: Layout by Generation, What Wears Out & What to Upgrade First
How Subaru WRX suspension is actually built — struts, springs, sway bars, links and bushings, generation by generation — plus the noises that mean something is worn, what alignment can and can't adjust, and the upgrade order that gets the most handling per dollar.
GuideBest WRX Brake Pads by Use Case: Daily, Canyon, Track & Winter
Which brake pads to actually buy for a Subaru WRX — pad families picked by how you drive (commuting, canyon, track days, winter), how to identify your caliper before you order, front/rear pairing, and where new vs. OEM/used pads make sense.
GuideSubaru WRX Bolt Pattern by Year: 5x100 vs 5x114.3, Hub Bore & Lug Specs
Every Subaru WRX and STI bolt pattern from 2002 to 2026 in one table — 5x100 vs 5x114.3, the 56.1mm hub bore, 12x1.25 lug thread, plus how to measure your own 5-lug pattern before you buy used wheels.
GuideWRX Fluids & Capacities Reference: Oil, Gear Oil, Diff, and Coolant Specs by Generation
A WRX fluid spec sheet you can actually use — engine oil viscosity and capacity by engine family, manual gear oil, front and rear differential, coolant, brake fluid, and the EJ-vs-FA power-steering split, with the WRX-specific gotchas and where to source genuine Subaru fluids.
GuideWRX Clutch & Flywheel Upgrade Guide: When You Need One and What to Buy
A hands-on guide to Subaru WRX clutch and flywheel upgrades — how to tell when the stock clutch is done, how organic, puck, and twin-disc clutches differ, what a lightweight flywheel actually changes (and costs you in drivability), the 5MT-vs-6MT reality, and how to buy without over-clutching your street car.
GuideWRX Stage 1 vs. Stage 2 Explained: What a "Stage" Actually Is
A plain-English guide to Subaru WRX tuning stages — what Stage 1 and Stage 2 actually mean, what parts each one includes, how much each unlocks, the supporting mods you need, and how to build in the right order without wasting money or risking the engine.
GuideCommon WRX Problems by Generation — and the Parts That Fix Them
An honest, gearhead's rundown of the known WRX weak points by generation — EJ ringland failure, wheel bearings, turbo banjo-bolt starvation, FA20 oil consumption and DI carbon buildup — plus what causes each, how to spot it early, and the exact parts (OEM and rebuild) that put it right.
GuideWRX Maintenance Schedule & Parts Checklist: What to Service and When
A gearhead's WRX maintenance schedule — why the turbo boxer lives on Subaru's severe-service intervals, oil and filter cadence, spark plugs, brake and diff fluids, coolant, the timing belt-vs-chain split by generation, premium fuel, and a print-friendly parts checklist for keeping a WRX healthy.
GuideHow to Choose an Intercooler for Your WRX: TMIC vs. FMIC
A gearhead's guide to Subaru WRX intercoolers — why the factory top-mount heat-soaks, how a top-mount (TMIC) and front-mount (FMIC) actually differ in spool, cooling, and plumbing, when a bigger TMIC beats an FMIC, core sizing, sprayers, and how to pick for how you drive.
Top ListBest Exhaust Systems for the WRX: Cat-Back, Downpipe & Sound Guide
How to choose a WRX exhaust — cat-back vs. downpipe vs. axle-back, the boxer rumble explained (equal- vs. unequal-length headers), drone, materials, and what actually adds power.
GuideWRX Wheel & Tire Fitment Guide: Bolt Pattern, Offset, Backspacing & Tire Sizes
How Subaru WRX wheel fitment actually works — bolt pattern (5x100 vs 5x114.3), hub bore, offset and backspacing, wheel width, tire sizing, spacers, and lug hardware — so you buy wheels and tires that clear, sit right, and don't rub.
GuideWRX Brake Pad Types Explained: Street, Track & Endurance Compounds
A plain-English guide to Subaru WRX brake pad compounds — ceramic vs. semi-metallic, street vs. track vs. endurance friction, operating temperature windows, dust and noise trade-offs, and how to match a pad to how you actually drive.
Top ListBest Cold Air Intakes for the WRX
How to choose a cold air intake for your Subaru WRX — short-ram vs. true cold-air, the MAF-scaling tune gotcha, oiled vs. dry filters, and how much power an intake really adds.
GuideWRX Generations & Fitment Guide: GD, GR, VA & VB by Year
Which Subaru WRX do you have? A no-nonsense breakdown of every WRX generation — GD, GR, VA, VB — by year, engine, and chassis code, so you buy parts that actually fit the first time.
Top ListBest WRX Performance Upgrades
The upgrades that actually add power and drivability to a Subaru WRX — ECU tuning, intake, downpipe, and exhaust, ranked by bang for the buck.
Top ListBest WRX Turbo & Bolt-On Upgrades
The turbo and boost upgrades that make a Subaru WRX faster and more responsive — intercoolers, charge pipes, downpipes, BOVs, and the tune that ties it together.