Planned WRX modifications

UPDATE: I'm keeping my car stock until next summer at least. I'd like to save up some money and also "get to know" the car before modifying. I believe I will make better decisions come upgrade time, and appreciate the changes more after driving/racing it stock.

My goal with regards to modifying my WRX hatchback is to mainly to improve handling and power, while keeping the cost around $3000 or so. Reliability and maintaining the car as a comfortable daily driver are also very important. I know I will be doing the work myself, and I felt I needed to focus on "biggest bang for the buck" type upgrades. I spend a lot of time reading through WRX related forums and FAQs. I originally planned to only mod the car such that it would remain in the D Stock class according to SCCA rules, but I decided that I lived in an area where local classes usually only had a few cars in them and if I started out in a "higher" class, it wouldn't affect my enjoyment of the sport. My focus will be to improve my driving over time, and not really to compete with other racers.

Note: If you are considering getting into SCCA racing and/or modifying your car, you may want to list out your goals in order of preference before making any purchases. Be as realistic and responsible so you don't end up wasting time and money. My list and choices are specific to my goals and should only be used as an example of what someone else might choose to do.

I broke my future modifications up into "phases" so I didn't have to take them on all at once:

Phase 1

1. Tint Windows (mostly for appearance)
2. Install short shifter (e.g. Kartboy) and bushings

Cost: ~$400

Phase 2

1. Front and rear sway bars (focus on fit and quality)
2. Front and rear end links (focus on strength and quietness)
3. Front and rear springs (focus on performance and compatibility with stock dampers)

Cost: ~$900

Phase 3 

1. Turbo back exhaust (must be catted, relatively quiet and resist corrosion)
2. Engine management/tune (e.g. Cobb AccessPort)

Cost: ~$1800

I also have a phase 4 where I focus on better brake pads, lines and fluid for racing... that will have to wait a bit. The type of racing I'll be doing isn't particularly rough on the brakes, so stock will have to work for the time being. Of course, there are a bunch of other things I'd love to do, but for now the list above will have to suffice.