The Scottish Subaru BRZ adventure

The Scottish Subaru BRZ adventure

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JB!

Original Poster:

5,254 posts

180 months

Thursday 3rd November 2016
quotequote all
So in October, I did something fun and a bit stupid, and finally bit the bullet and bought a Subaru BRZ... this is how it went.



I am not a morning person. This hour of the day was not much fun.



My incredible value train ticket to the nearest station to the dealership in Falkirk (£53!!!)



The Lake District.



Murrayfield, I got excited somewhere around here.

I got picked up from the station in the car, drove it back via their usual test drive route, car was spot on.






Pictures do not do World Rally Blue justice!!! Love the colour. Rear lights need to go, but that can wait.



Met up with Brad off PH Forums who looked round the car for me before I went to get it!

Then I drove the North Coast 500!



Fort William



My new dash (Headunit has to go!)



Just incase I broke my phone!



The view over Helmsdale for my first night!



John o Groats!



Wick Harbour, met up with a mate who works in Wick and lives in Thurso so had a play with his Megane Turbo for the day! Was good fun, alot of torque steer, and surprisingly revvy!



Thurso Beach



An evening in Bettyhill...










My 4 favourite pictures of the entire trip! The scenery of the west Highlands is insane, totally mind blowing.



Lochinver





The ferry terminal and dock at Ullapool



Somewhere near Ullapool!



Looking moody in Carlisle



Total miles from Falkirk to home via NC500 & Fort William!


  • ******************************************

So one thing I noticed a day or so into my trip was the brakes were pretty terrible. Plenty of meat on the pads but no bite at all.

Closer investigation and i found Jurid marked on the fronts. Cheap pads from Euros or wherever.

A little asking around on the GT86/BRZ Driver's Facebook page and I bought and fitted these:







Performance Friction fronts and Yellowstuff rears.



In Derby this week...

It's going to a local detailer to clean 1500 miles of grime off and seal it for winter on Saturday, so more pictures then!

Next up is swap a set of wheels off my Fabia over onto it for winter, and my personal plate, then save for an exhaust and some TOMs rear lights.



Edited by JB! on Sunday 6th November 22:52

Butter Face

30,312 posts

160 months

Thursday 3rd November 2016
quotequote all
That's a hell of a distance for a BRZ! Top work!

JB!

Original Poster:

5,254 posts

180 months

Thursday 3rd November 2016
quotequote all
Butter Face said:
That's a hell of a distance for a BRZ! Top work!
Thanks!

Right colour, right gearbox and a cracking price! (I can't find any sub 16k cars for anywhere near what I paid)

clowesy

293 posts

121 months

Thursday 3rd November 2016
quotequote all
Very nice, love this blue. I know they're mechanically the same but I'd always go BRZ over a GT86 just so I could pair this colour with some nice gold/bronze wheels.

Craikeybaby

10,414 posts

225 months

Thursday 3rd November 2016
quotequote all
Awesome! What a way to collect your new car.

JB!

Original Poster:

5,254 posts

180 months

Friday 4th November 2016
quotequote all
Thanks folks!

Excited to see it properly cleaned tomorrow, no doubt I'll get it filthy again!

Freds

947 posts

137 months

Saturday 5th November 2016
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Excellent ! Ian Grieve in Falkirk are really good to deal with, we're a mere 200 miles from them but have bought from them twice. Great car, great road trip, hope the BRZ serves you well. smile

ferrisbueller

29,335 posts

227 months

Saturday 5th November 2016
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One of your pictures has a lot of personal information in it. You may want to delete that.

benjijames28

1,702 posts

92 months

Saturday 5th November 2016
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Brilliant, I've never really seen this car before, but now I want one, in this colour!


6cylGolf

700 posts

190 months

Sunday 6th November 2016
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Lovely colour, I've driven up to ullapool from south Glasgow and that is a proper trek. Looks like you had a great tour

6cylGolf

700 posts

190 months

Sunday 6th November 2016
quotequote all
ferrisbueller said:
One of your pictures has a lot of personal information in it. You may want to delete that.
Agreed, op get on it.
Nice alarm clock by the way

JB!

Original Poster:

5,254 posts

180 months

Sunday 6th November 2016
quotequote all
On it, thanks folks!


Just had it de-swirled and it looks incredible!

Pictures:









Can't believe the difference, even on a 3yr old car.

This thing is also making me reconsider my collection of toys...

Edited by JB! on Sunday 6th November 22:57

Tinkshusband

280 posts

103 months

Sunday 6th November 2016
quotequote all
clowesy said:
Very nice, love this blue. I know they're mechanically the same but I'd always go BRZ over a GT86 just so I could pair this colour with some nice gold/bronze wheels.
gold sti bbs would look good on this.

JB!

Original Poster:

5,254 posts

180 months

Sunday 6th November 2016
quotequote all
6cylGolf said:
Agreed, op get on it.
Nice alarm clock by the way
Thanks! I still can't get out of bed for st though.

JB!

Original Poster:

5,254 posts

180 months

Sunday 6th November 2016
quotequote all
Tinkshusband said:
clowesy said:
Very nice, love this blue. I know they're mechanically the same but I'd always go BRZ over a GT86 just so I could pair this colour with some nice gold/bronze wheels.
gold sti bbs would look good on this.
Funny you should say that...

Thinking these:


James B

1,302 posts

244 months

Monday 7th November 2016
quotequote all
Great looking car and glad you enjoyed the NC500 trip. Some very familiar locations chosen for pics that our lot used when we did it in May.

Also, if you're looking for a great double DIN headunit to replaced the one there then I'm selling one of these;
https://www.cnet.com/uk/products/pioneer-avic-fdb/...

Mr Tidy

22,359 posts

127 months

Tuesday 8th November 2016
quotequote all
Great post OP!

I thought my last car-buying trip from Berkshire to Warwickshire was far enough (mind you my train ticket cost a little more than yours)!

Have to agree about the colour - that is stunning, but I rather like the idea of a red interior and that doesn't really work as a combination!

I test drove a GT86 a couple of years ago, and loved it - but to get to the spec I wanted a new one was way out of budget!frown

So I went back to looking at used cars and got corrupted by power so bought a Z4 Coupe instead! But GT86/BRZ is still an option one day.

Did a tour of Scotland some years back, not the NC500 but there are some great roads up there and stunning scenery!

Looking forward to the updates (and inevitable upgrades) laugh

JB!

Original Poster:

5,254 posts

180 months

Friday 11th November 2016
quotequote all
James B said:
Great looking car and glad you enjoyed the NC500 trip. Some very familiar locations chosen for pics that our lot used when we did it in May.

Also, if you're looking for a great double DIN headunit to replaced the one there then I'm selling one of these;
https://www.cnet.com/uk/products/pioneer-avic-fdb/...
I'm going to hold off for a little while, really need an exhaust first!

Ved

3,825 posts

175 months

Friday 11th November 2016
quotequote all
Looks really good. I had a brief stint in a GT86 which didn't really do it for me but I'm keen to try again as I should hopefully be getting a new car next year. As you're local I'll have to keep an eye out. Certainly not seen any BRZs around here before.

JB!

Original Poster:

5,254 posts

180 months

Friday 11th November 2016
quotequote all
Ved said:
Looks really good. I had a brief stint in a GT86 which didn't really do it for me but I'm keen to try again as I should hopefully be getting a new car next year. As you're local I'll have to keep an eye out. Certainly not seen any BRZs around here before.
Local yep, Live and work in the MK area, there are a few GT86s but not seen another BRZ locally yet.