A fast estate you say? Subaru Forester STI
Discussion
themanwithnoname said:
- So a nice big off topic. Mighty Car Mods/MCM/Marty (Martin Mulholland) and Moog (Blair Joscelyn) are part of the reason I have this car as well. Without going into the deep and dark the background goes thusly:
t brain chemistry, and I come across as a lot more outgoing than I am in writing compared to real life. Unless I know you very well, or unless you're talking my subjects, you'd think I was mute... I'm the guy in the background staring at the floor, or the cars or whatnot, happy in my own company. Up until 2008 I was very active in the car scene, I had stupid old knackers running silly power all that kind of jazz, and then I hit some hard times come recession time, the money was gone, the cars went and I stared at the same walls for 6 months while I was out of work. My brain was always s
t, but that really didn't help, and I became extremely introverted and whatnot. Anyway time went on, I did a couple of contracts and eventually landed a permie job, which required the tractor. I didn't want the car, I didn't even like the car, it was white goods, it was (dare I say it) 'just a car' yes it got polished and yes it got remapped and yes it was good at what it did, but I just didn't enjoy it....
I had fallen out of love with cars. I couldn't afford or justify one that pushed my buttons, so they became a tool.
Of course I still had my baseline obsession, and I'd occasionally try and man-maths an E46 M3 or a ropey old C36 and even managed to put a case together for at least going petrol again, but the passion wasn't there.
It didn't help that I hadn't recognised my decline, and I wasn't well. It also didn't help that I hated the job I was doing. I was making a lot less than I had been in 2008, I practically lived in s
tty hotels, my expenses were sucking up every penny of spare cash I might have had, and the company wouldn't entertain an expenses credit card, so I was Mis. Er. A. Ble. Happily however, that same job afforded me a lot of downtime, and as I was largely a forgotten cog in a large machine, with a quiet corner office when I wasn't in another crappy hotel, I got a lot of Netflix and YouTube time, an accepted 'perk' if you will.
What has this got to do with MCM?
Well, early 2014, I was sent a link by one of my still car mad mates, saying that not only would I like the music, but as I love Japan and all things Japanese (apart from the Whaling, I have major issues with that), and am interested in car culture, it was worth an hour of my time. That link was to Kei to the City.
The premise of the film was a couple of mates on their holidays, buy a cheap little car, explore a bit, meet some drifters, and modify that little car to go drifting.
From the first bars of the title track of the soundtrack I was hooked...I saw a huge amount of myself in Marty, or at least, I saw a lot of my former self, and at that moment, also discovered that my office had suddenly become both massively dusty and pollinated simultaneously. My passion for cars had been tickled. I also saw a lot of Moog in one of my old car mates, the one who had sent me the link.
After that I watched their first feature film, and the title had me 'Turbos and Temples'
Over the next two weeks, I ended up watching every one of the 180+ videos they had out at the time on their two channels. Everything from fixing a dent to building a show car, to a shell swap and I was hungry for it. Even Mrs Noname had noticed that I had the tiniest glimmers of a fire in my belly for something.
From that point on, I vowed that I would get out of the job I hated, and out of the car I nothinged and into something I enjoyed, on both counts.
It took a year to get my head right enough to do anything about it, and when that happened, it was the second place I interviewed at that made me an offer.
I signed my contract, handed in my notice and 2 weeks later put the deposit down on the Forester.
Even Mrs Noname can appreciate Marty and Moog, and the 88s, but to this day doesn't know how much that little internet show helped.
I know how ridiculous it sounds, and even typing it now, its a little bit embarrassing that a grown ass man can take such comfort in a couple of loons from across the world, but at the end of the day, the stuff that helps, well, it just helps. Nothing you can do about it.
And with that. I'm going to watch Kei to the City again while I get my (bacon maple) pancakes on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cu6h5IoqkoA
Never watched MCM before (though was aware of it), will have go give that episode a watch now.
Great thread, thanks. I think on balance black is the best colour!
I usually get 23 mpg from my Fsti and on the 12 miles to and from the train station each morning this drops to 18 mpg.
A while back I considered up buying a "station car" and decided, based on the cheapest and most efficient car I could think of, it would take me 4-5 years for the costs to even out! No contest really, especially since the Subaru AWD system has saved my neck on greasy or icy roads.
I use Vredestein Wintrac extremes through the winter and they have been great.
I usually get 23 mpg from my Fsti and on the 12 miles to and from the train station each morning this drops to 18 mpg.
A while back I considered up buying a "station car" and decided, based on the cheapest and most efficient car I could think of, it would take me 4-5 years for the costs to even out! No contest really, especially since the Subaru AWD system has saved my neck on greasy or icy roads.
I use Vredestein Wintrac extremes through the winter and they have been great.
themanwithnoname said:
I'm going to start implementing an if you say you have one you must post pictures rule!
For an apparently surprisingly popular car I've still only seen one other in the wild that wasn't at a dealership when i was burying!
Saw one this afternoon at Blythe Bridge (Stoke On Trent). Never seen one before and I have to say that they look better in the flesh than in photographs!For an apparently surprisingly popular car I've still only seen one other in the wild that wasn't at a dealership when i was burying!
themanwithnoname said:
The Rainsports are great. Possibly wearing a bit quicker than I'd like, but I just realised on the way home this evening just how quickly I'm racking up the miles.
Price wise for comparison, after my brief trip through a pothole last month, I arranged for TyresOnTheDrive to come to my office, as they were able to come next day - by the way, 330bhp on a spacesaver in the wet is either hilarious or frightening, I can't decide.
Absolutely top notch service though, and the vans were pristine, and they were quick and efficient, and answered all my stupid and annoying questions (eg how do they balance a wheel effectively in a suspended van - the answer was 'very carefully' and then explained properly, my kind of humour) and had me sorted in 20 minutes, and the price for a single tyre with fitting balancing and disposal was £112.50 which I can live with.
A lot of people notice that on the RS3's. I noticed it on a 130bhp diesel that does mostly motorway miles, so I can imagine you'll really notice it! I've switched away from them, the mileage I do it wasn't worth it. Not running hankook ventus V12's, and can't say I've noticed any loss of grip.Price wise for comparison, after my brief trip through a pothole last month, I arranged for TyresOnTheDrive to come to my office, as they were able to come next day - by the way, 330bhp on a spacesaver in the wet is either hilarious or frightening, I can't decide.
Absolutely top notch service though, and the vans were pristine, and they were quick and efficient, and answered all my stupid and annoying questions (eg how do they balance a wheel effectively in a suspended van - the answer was 'very carefully' and then explained properly, my kind of humour) and had me sorted in 20 minutes, and the price for a single tyre with fitting balancing and disposal was £112.50 which I can live with.
Out of interest, how do they do it? I've had mobile fitters out in the past and they've done a good job!
Sorry - mine are in fact the S001 225/45/18 95Y XL (shouldn't post as soon as I've got out of bed)
£92-50 +VAT.
The car's used only for blatting so tyres see that life only. I like a stiff side-wall, and the Bridgestone's have that, tightening up the feel of the car really nicely. Turn-in and overall reaction is sharp, with no delay waiting for the wall to collapse. Grip levels wet and dry are high and progression is good, easily enabling neutral wet drifting
I have Yokohama AD08R's on my Type R Impreza which have the stiffest side-wall of any tyre I've come across
£92-50 +VAT.
The car's used only for blatting so tyres see that life only. I like a stiff side-wall, and the Bridgestone's have that, tightening up the feel of the car really nicely. Turn-in and overall reaction is sharp, with no delay waiting for the wall to collapse. Grip levels wet and dry are high and progression is good, easily enabling neutral wet drifting
I have Yokohama AD08R's on my Type R Impreza which have the stiffest side-wall of any tyre I've come across
Ahh no bother. nothing too serious, brake master cylinder I think. I was heading to Coed Y Brenin for a ride, so that didn't exactly go to plan either!
Hope your shoulder/leg isn't too buggered, I like Antur, but I'm always terrified of crashing there because you just know it's going to hurt!
It's not all bad anyway, managed to get out in my local hills once I was home
Hope your shoulder/leg isn't too buggered, I like Antur, but I'm always terrified of crashing there because you just know it's going to hurt!
It's not all bad anyway, managed to get out in my local hills once I was home
Edited by samj2014 on Sunday 13th March 20:51
That IS some bad luck! Ah well, at least bikes are easier to fix than cars. Doubt you'll be breaking that Stinky frame any time soon anyway - those things are going to be around well after any nuclear holocaust. (Also I hope you've re-routed that front brake hose)
Edited by samj2014 on Sunday 13th March 22:35
It's me again, I'm back.
I've done a little tidying up as I realised I was being either a bit rambly or a bit whingy, so less of that.
Since my last ramble, we've seen massive improvements in the shoulder department, still a long way to go, but I can no wield a torque wrench, put my (not insubstantial) weight on it for short periods and have about 70% mobility back. So very happy with that.
In the car department, things are still boringly reliable. I'm not complaining mind, but it does mean there is little to report.
The only real things of note are that I finally got the noisy van all clean and shiny. Then it rained. A lot. So I cleaned it again. I went to Cornwall in full touring mode. And it rained... Well you get the idea.
So here is touring mode:
I ended up building a little wind deflector as it was even more noisy than usual, which I left in the conservatory when we got home, and promptly warped, but happily being speed limited to less than usual, I managed what I consider to be an impressive 30.55mpg on the way home. MkII of the deflector will be made soon. Though a colleague has borrowed by box and bars for the next week or two.
Also driving around in Devon/Cornwall I was sure I saw an English Electric Lightning jet behind a bush, so stopped to investigate... Yup definitely a Lightning
So it came to last week, and it was time to put the car on show at the Fast Car Festival/PHSS at Donington Park, so after taking 3 days off last week to really get the car clean, it rained right up until Friday lunchtime! So a mad dash, and a flurry of machine polishers, thousands of cloths, a million products and about 10 hours of bloody hard work later I was left with what follows.
Getting clean, and you have to love a little snow:
Fast forward to nearly finished:
And when completed, some nice clear reflections (tinypic and its random rotation of images will be the death of me):
In my mate Phil's inimitable style and descriptive manner 'that looks oily as fk dude' high praise methinks!
And finally for now, at the event.
At this point I realised I was properly sunburnt in the face department, jumped in the old noisy van and hot footed home, via the local Shell (naturally) where for a change, I wasn't in the silliest car on the forecourt, there was an Aventador SV doing it's thing... drinking heavily.
Then I got home, and it rained... Ho hum!
What next?
Well, I have "STI rattle" again, which is becoming a little tiresome, so I'll be stripping down the suspension for waht I'm hoping will be the last time as I am currently agonising over wheel refurb colours/shades and which suspension to put on the car, as replacement struts are from Japan only and £400 quid a corner +/- depending on exchange rate. So some shiny coilovers it will be.
More on this later.
I've done a little tidying up as I realised I was being either a bit rambly or a bit whingy, so less of that.
Since my last ramble, we've seen massive improvements in the shoulder department, still a long way to go, but I can no wield a torque wrench, put my (not insubstantial) weight on it for short periods and have about 70% mobility back. So very happy with that.
In the car department, things are still boringly reliable. I'm not complaining mind, but it does mean there is little to report.
The only real things of note are that I finally got the noisy van all clean and shiny. Then it rained. A lot. So I cleaned it again. I went to Cornwall in full touring mode. And it rained... Well you get the idea.
So here is touring mode:
I ended up building a little wind deflector as it was even more noisy than usual, which I left in the conservatory when we got home, and promptly warped, but happily being speed limited to less than usual, I managed what I consider to be an impressive 30.55mpg on the way home. MkII of the deflector will be made soon. Though a colleague has borrowed by box and bars for the next week or two.
Also driving around in Devon/Cornwall I was sure I saw an English Electric Lightning jet behind a bush, so stopped to investigate... Yup definitely a Lightning
So it came to last week, and it was time to put the car on show at the Fast Car Festival/PHSS at Donington Park, so after taking 3 days off last week to really get the car clean, it rained right up until Friday lunchtime! So a mad dash, and a flurry of machine polishers, thousands of cloths, a million products and about 10 hours of bloody hard work later I was left with what follows.
Getting clean, and you have to love a little snow:
Fast forward to nearly finished:
And when completed, some nice clear reflections (tinypic and its random rotation of images will be the death of me):
In my mate Phil's inimitable style and descriptive manner 'that looks oily as f
k dude' high praise methinks! And finally for now, at the event.
At this point I realised I was properly sunburnt in the face department, jumped in the old noisy van and hot footed home, via the local Shell (naturally) where for a change, I wasn't in the silliest car on the forecourt, there was an Aventador SV doing it's thing... drinking heavily.
Then I got home, and it rained... Ho hum!
What next?
Well, I have "STI rattle" again, which is becoming a little tiresome, so I'll be stripping down the suspension for waht I'm hoping will be the last time as I am currently agonising over wheel refurb colours/shades and which suspension to put on the car, as replacement struts are from Japan only and £400 quid a corner +/- depending on exchange rate. So some shiny coilovers it will be.
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