Bye bye R32 (no, the german one) and hello Impreza
Discussion
After 5 years pottering around in Golfs I've moved the entire driveway back to Subaru and the latest edition is a rather tidy Impreza WRX STI from 2004.
I've been trying for months to sell my R32 so finally bit the bullet and decided that if the right car came along I would trade it in and pocket the difference. I can't understand why it didn't sell as I think it looks great and was pretty much perfect for what it did, I mean just look at it!
Old car history minus the R32 and the current Forester (which I'll add in a while) http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
But anyway, having missed out by literally hours on a JDM Impreza at David Hendry Cars, I managed to find one in even better condition, with more kit and even more power...again at David Hendry Cars. So last Saturday off I trot on the two an a half hour drive to look at a car with the intention of seeing if it was as good as my old Hawkeye STI that I owned from 2007 to 2009. Well, the poker face immediately dropped to reveal a huge grin. We agreed on a very good valuation for my car and a few things I wanted completing on the STI and that was that. A week later, this Saturday gone, I drove down to see David and Andrew to take away my new car with a very happy Mrs Ved and Labrador. I even got 36.8 mpg on the way there, which I think is a universe record for the R32
The Impreza is already amazing me. It's built like a tank, goes like a bullet train and stops like a cartoon roadrunner. It has a lot to share with the Hawkeye although the heavier steering and sledgehammer power delivery are the most striking differences after the 480 miles I've done in the last three days. I'll miss the overall nature and civility of the R32 and regardless of the moaning Golfs get on here, it's a very good car and probably the best all around hatchback VW have produced. But the WRX is something very special.
It's had a stage one performance pack on it since 2008 with the following:
Turbo-back 3" Milltek exhaust system with sports cat
Uprated fuel pump
Zero sports panel filter
Forge recirculating dump value
ECUtek remap
This takes the power from somewhere between 300 and 340 bhp although it's never had a rolling road to verify it. Once there is a session at Surrey I'll take it down to get the definitive answer. If does feel very very fast and it'll go from 30 to 80 leptons in the time it takes to count them out loud. The smooth V6 has probably warped my concept of speed so I'm curious to know what it precisely puts out.
One other nice addition to the car is parking sensors. As you'll see from the photos they look standard despite being aftermarket ones.
I've already ordered a new iDA-x305 Alpine head unit, genuine subaru DIN pocket, PIAA silicone wipers, Richard Burns sticker from RB5OC, STI dust caps, and of course I need to figure out where to fit the 3" PH smilie
After that it'll be fitting some new speakers, front splitter, mud flaps (prodrive ones if I can find some), replacing a few worn bits of trim and sending it off for a full detail.
All in all, very happy
Bug splatter after a Sunday blast
The only manky bit of the engine (to be replaced)
Bit of polishing on the exhaust. You can see the state of it before from the section I'm yet to do.
With our other Subaru, a minter of a XT
I'll start another post on the Forester later on too. It's having the front bumper painted and a full polish but once I have it back and I'll the camera out and tell you all about it.
Cheers!
I've been trying for months to sell my R32 so finally bit the bullet and decided that if the right car came along I would trade it in and pocket the difference. I can't understand why it didn't sell as I think it looks great and was pretty much perfect for what it did, I mean just look at it!
Old car history minus the R32 and the current Forester (which I'll add in a while) http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
But anyway, having missed out by literally hours on a JDM Impreza at David Hendry Cars, I managed to find one in even better condition, with more kit and even more power...again at David Hendry Cars. So last Saturday off I trot on the two an a half hour drive to look at a car with the intention of seeing if it was as good as my old Hawkeye STI that I owned from 2007 to 2009. Well, the poker face immediately dropped to reveal a huge grin. We agreed on a very good valuation for my car and a few things I wanted completing on the STI and that was that. A week later, this Saturday gone, I drove down to see David and Andrew to take away my new car with a very happy Mrs Ved and Labrador. I even got 36.8 mpg on the way there, which I think is a universe record for the R32
The Impreza is already amazing me. It's built like a tank, goes like a bullet train and stops like a cartoon roadrunner. It has a lot to share with the Hawkeye although the heavier steering and sledgehammer power delivery are the most striking differences after the 480 miles I've done in the last three days. I'll miss the overall nature and civility of the R32 and regardless of the moaning Golfs get on here, it's a very good car and probably the best all around hatchback VW have produced. But the WRX is something very special.
It's had a stage one performance pack on it since 2008 with the following:
Turbo-back 3" Milltek exhaust system with sports cat
Uprated fuel pump
Zero sports panel filter
Forge recirculating dump value
ECUtek remap
This takes the power from somewhere between 300 and 340 bhp although it's never had a rolling road to verify it. Once there is a session at Surrey I'll take it down to get the definitive answer. If does feel very very fast and it'll go from 30 to 80 leptons in the time it takes to count them out loud. The smooth V6 has probably warped my concept of speed so I'm curious to know what it precisely puts out.
One other nice addition to the car is parking sensors. As you'll see from the photos they look standard despite being aftermarket ones.
I've already ordered a new iDA-x305 Alpine head unit, genuine subaru DIN pocket, PIAA silicone wipers, Richard Burns sticker from RB5OC, STI dust caps, and of course I need to figure out where to fit the 3" PH smilie
After that it'll be fitting some new speakers, front splitter, mud flaps (prodrive ones if I can find some), replacing a few worn bits of trim and sending it off for a full detail.
All in all, very happy
Bug splatter after a Sunday blast
The only manky bit of the engine (to be replaced)
Bit of polishing on the exhaust. You can see the state of it before from the section I'm yet to do.
With our other Subaru, a minter of a XT
I'll start another post on the Forester later on too. It's having the front bumper painted and a full polish but once I have it back and I'll the camera out and tell you all about it.
Cheers!
Edited by Ved on Monday 27th May 17:21
Mr.Jimbo said:
Looks very nice
I want to chop the daft flared out tip off my TSL Group N to look like your backbox - is that a milltek system?
I had a TSL one on my Hawkeye and loved it. Yes mine is a full turbo back Milltek with the sports cat. Personally I prefer the look of the one I have on the Forester:I want to chop the daft flared out tip off my TSL Group N to look like your backbox - is that a milltek system?
M159V8 said:
Nice, almost looks like the WR1 colour in some shots. Are you going to do the OEM headlight mod? Makes a big difference IMO, as do Silvertec/Philips Silvervision indicator bulbs all round
I use the car every day so sticking them in the oven probably isn't going to happen soon but I do prefer them without the yolk I've ordered some Osrams for the main and dipped lights and will put in the side lights once I have a spare moment to take the lights out.
Mr.Jimbo said:
Looks very nice
I want to chop the daft flared out tip off my TSL Group N to look like your backbox - is that a milltek system?
Is your TSL one of the outward rolled tips, or those STi Genome ones? Outward rolled tips are very 80s, and the backbox on the TSL outward rolled looks huge too. Should have given it a non-rolled, straight or slash cut tip for proper Jap style y0.I want to chop the daft flared out tip off my TSL Group N to look like your backbox - is that a milltek system?
Mastodon2 said:
Is your TSL one of the outward rolled tips, or those STi Genome ones? Outward rolled tips are very 80s, and the backbox on the TSL outward rolled looks huge too. Should have given it a non-rolled, straight or slash cut tip for proper Jap style y0.
The TSL one I had on the last STI did have a rolled tip. It's not to everyones taste but I didn't mind it and got it pretty cheap from TSL before they went back to classic cars. You could quite easily get it adjusted by a custom exhaust company without losing much of the sound. Or you could just buy another exhaust Just noticed in my above post was to say "outward rolled tips look very 80s "fast Ford", as you used to see all the Cossies and Escort Turbos with them on". I think it looks good on the Impreza too though!
Yours is a very nice car though Ved, and a great step up from a Golf. You must be very proud, I know I would be.
Yours is a very nice car though Ved, and a great step up from a Golf. You must be very proud, I know I would be.
dm46 said:
Two of my favourite cars. How does the r32 compare to the scooby?
Both very different cars really. The Golf has the advantage of being a better car for the masses as it's much more refined with far less NVH and the engine is much more instant as you'd imagine. I also like the amount of extra toys it came with so I suppose it's a more modern and refined car and that lovely V6 is a lot more grown up that a chavy four pot The STI is just as smooth to drive as the remap has given it more than enough power off boost and a tremendous surge when it's full on song and it's that extra umph that I really enjoy from Subarus. Once the STI has its new front tyres bedded in then it'll have the advantage of pure grip too.
I give the R a high 8 and the STI a 9.5 right now.
I'd have another Subaru again but I'll probably leave VWs to others now and I think that summarises things nicely.
Ved said:
Both very different cars really. The Golf has the advantage of being a better car for the masses as it's much more refined with far less NVH and the engine is much more instant as you'd imagine. I also like the amount of extra toys it came with so I suppose it's a more modern and refined car and that lovely V6 is a lot more grown up that a chavy four pot
The STI is just as smooth to drive as the remap has given it more than enough power off boost and a tremendous surge when it's full on song and it's that extra umph that I really enjoy from Subarus. Once the STI has its new front tyres bedded in then it'll have the advantage of pure grip too.
I give the R a high 8 and the STI a 9.5 right now.
I'd have another Subaru again but I'll probably leave VWs to others now and I think that summarises things nicely.
Thanks for the reply. Good luck with the scooby, I'll get one myself someday!The STI is just as smooth to drive as the remap has given it more than enough power off boost and a tremendous surge when it's full on song and it's that extra umph that I really enjoy from Subarus. Once the STI has its new front tyres bedded in then it'll have the advantage of pure grip too.
I give the R a high 8 and the STI a 9.5 right now.
I'd have another Subaru again but I'll probably leave VWs to others now and I think that summarises things nicely.
Ved said:
The TSL one I had on the last STI did have a rolled tip. It's not to everyones taste but I didn't mind it and got it pretty cheap from TSL before they went back to classic cars. You could quite easily get it adjusted by a custom exhaust company without losing much of the sound. Or you could just buy another exhaust
Nah - just gonna whack it on the mitre saw and hack off the tip at a shallow angle, then polish it up like yours! - Not actually welding on a different tailpipe... yet.
By way of a small update on my time with WX54 here's a couple of photos and a video I took today so you can get an idea for what the full Milltek sounds like.
The car is now just short of 89k miles and hasn't missed a beat other than recently needing a bit of throttle to start occasionally - sorted with new plugs on Friday at its trip to Subaru. It's just gone through a major service and I'll be getting the cam belt done in a few months as well as that's not due until it hits 100k but I'd prefer it done and dusted.
Next up will be a new set of lovely RE070s to replace the worn Toyos but aside from that it's just been an easy ownership with lots of smiles. The age and mileage of the car is worn very well and if it didn't have the usual marks on the front bumper I'd be shocked if you could guess it. If the service and tyres hadn't cost me £950 I'd be ordering some new ARBs and getting the from discs and pads upgraded but that can wait a few months.
The only mods I've added to the car are the front splitter from HT Autos and the lower front grill by Zunsport, which I think looks great. The wheels could do with a refurbishment as well but I'll wait until a good month with work until I do that. Mechanicals first, cosmetics second.
Cheers
IMG_0493 by David J. Gaunt, on Flickr
IMG_0492 by David J. Gaunt, on Flickr
Exhaust video
http://youtu.be/mE3h-zPD4N0
The car is now just short of 89k miles and hasn't missed a beat other than recently needing a bit of throttle to start occasionally - sorted with new plugs on Friday at its trip to Subaru. It's just gone through a major service and I'll be getting the cam belt done in a few months as well as that's not due until it hits 100k but I'd prefer it done and dusted.
Next up will be a new set of lovely RE070s to replace the worn Toyos but aside from that it's just been an easy ownership with lots of smiles. The age and mileage of the car is worn very well and if it didn't have the usual marks on the front bumper I'd be shocked if you could guess it. If the service and tyres hadn't cost me £950 I'd be ordering some new ARBs and getting the from discs and pads upgraded but that can wait a few months.
The only mods I've added to the car are the front splitter from HT Autos and the lower front grill by Zunsport, which I think looks great. The wheels could do with a refurbishment as well but I'll wait until a good month with work until I do that. Mechanicals first, cosmetics second.
Cheers
IMG_0493 by David J. Gaunt, on FlickrIMG_0492 by David J. Gaunt, on FlickrExhaust video
http://youtu.be/mE3h-zPD4N0
Edited by Ved on Sunday 27th July 22:43
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff