In a time where subtlety rules the Subaru world, out of nowhere Wence Estrada’s 2002 WRX surfaces to make itself known. Nicknamed by Wence “The Tallgeese,” to pay homage to a popular Japanese anime, Wence had a long history with this car from its previous owner, who works on a fishing boat in Alaska. Wence took ownership of the car when the previous owner’s family made residence in Thailand, and in just a short few months, he’s made it his own. This car has its roots in World One Performance’s infancy back in 2002-2003, just as the company was starting to make a name for itself. Back in the day, bugeye WRXs were always “go big or go home,” and light exterior and power mods attracted little to no attention.
This mentality shines through clearly with Wence’s WRX. Underneath the C-West, Chargespeed, and Kaminari-decorated exterior lies an old-school Forced Performance 18G setup, born from a time when anything larger than an STI turbo was unheard of. The Advan TC-IIs were taken directly off the World One Performance Time Attack STI from 2004: not just the same make and model wheel, but the EXACT wheels right off the race car. Wence promptly replaced the completely worn-out Toyo RA1 race rubber as soon as he possibly could. H&R coilovers and Perrin front and rear sway bars complete the suspension package, and a bright red StopTech big brake kit keeps the car from getting too wild.
Despite its loud looks and Wence’s roots in the car show scene (his “King of Hearts” decal was his nickname from his car club, Project One), this WRX is his daily driver. He drives it every day, rain or shine, and even in the snow with his winter wheel and tire setup. Yet, his car show roots empower him to keep it as clean and show quality as possible. Would Wence be considered a little too hardcore for keeping his car in such a state? Perhaps. However, when you’ve grown up among the old 2.5RSs and bugeye WRXs, it really shouldn’t be too surprising.
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