Thursday 1st September 2016

Subaru Forester STI: PH Fleet

Sensible investments threaten the upgrade budget - time for some man maths!

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Anyone else who's owned an imported Japanese car will likely feel my pain - literally - on this one. But after yet another horrible cracking noise as I loaded a childseat into the back I knew the plastic wind deflectors had to go.

Purists will say they're an essential part of the JDM look. And I'd agree to an extent - I'm happy enough running square numberplates for instance. The ones on the Forester were proper Subaru items too, not the horrid aftermarket items often stuck to 90s Japanese cars and faded to a fetching shade of pink by the time they land on these shores.

But when the nearside one started flapping in the wind I knew they had to go. A realisation that filled me with dread, having spent many, many, many hours chiselling the same off my old MY95 Impreza WRX wagon a few years back. Lighter fluid, an old credit card and more time than I care to recall sorted it. Back in those carefree times I could afford a day on the driveway like that. These days I'm lucky to have five minutes to work on the car so I sought advice from (where else!) the PH forums - credit to those who responded, the tips including vegetable oil to break down the residue and a pointer to a mystery 'sticky stuff remover' from PHer RedAndy. Turns out the product is called exactly that, Halfords coming up trumps and a handful of unassigned Nectar cards from the Sainsbury's checkout grabbed as scrapers.

As anyone who's done it will know the plastic used for these things is brittle as hell, breaking into shards that'll slice your hands and prove real sod to remove from the bodywork. Then the fun really starts as you chip away at the decade old double sided tape used to stick them on. Thankfully Sticky Stuff Remover really does do what it says on the tin and after two or three passes and a couple of Nectar cards the Forester was de-deflectored and looking (almost) sleek.

The occupant of the childseat within has, meanwhile, gone up a size and when browsing the options I was inevitably drawn to a rather fancy Recaro that matches the main seats perfectly. I'm sure a Maxi Cosi or Britax would do the job just as well. But it says Recaro on it. He's happy. I'm happy, though it wasn't exactly the cheapest option. I'll dress this up as 'you can't skimp on safety' but my real motivations are rather more shallow.

Meanwhile I keep banging on about unleashing some proper Subaru noise and have been browsing the options. Hayward & Scott does a tempting sounding backbox I need to investigate further but rather frustratingly the budget for that looks like being swallowed by the need to get a second key/blipper. I'm trying various options but it looks like it's going to cost not far off the £300 or so for the backbox. Dammit!

Other than that life is good with the Forester. Recent participation in the 'Ard Rock Enduro bike race with Mrs Trent meant two consecutive days hacking along North Yorkshire back roads to and from the event base in the heart of the Dales. I'm not usually given to lifestyle posing but, I have to confess, turning up at a race in a Forester STI with bikes on the roof did unleash a degree of self-satisfaction.

Didn't last long though. Previous Subaru experience should have prepared me for this but it turns out a Forester STI has something of a thirst for super unleaded when thrashed along the back roads. The aerodynamics of a brick outhouse and a couple of bikes on the roof don't exactly help either. Ah well. No pain, no gain.

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FACT SHEET
Car: 2005 Subaru Forester STI (JDM import model)
Run by: Dan Trent
Bought: December 2015
Mileage: 122,843km (at purchase)
Purchase price: £9,500
Last month at a glance: STILL needs more noise

Previous reports: 
Dan scores himself one of his all-time dream cars
10 years younger, thanks to an infotainment upgrade
Racked and ready for duty

[big_rob_sydney]

Dont sweat the thirst. An alternative is to spend eleventy billion on a car that does better mpg. Whats the point in that? You've already saved a ton of money on purchase price right up front, and are enjoying the benefits from day one.

I think the Foz is a great car, and with a few mods, will run with pretty much anything over crap B roads, at a fraction of the cost. Only posers need get their pretentious noses out of joint.

[Dunk130TC]

I had a similar issue with losing a key for my Outback with the only option and expensive Subaru sourced replacement. I resolved it buying a second hand key for the immobiliser head (and then cutting of the key blade) and then obtaining a much cheaper valet key from Subaru for the correct key blade. Put the two on the same keyring and you're quids in as a spare set.

Edited by Dunk130TC on Thursday 1st September 10:13

[Dan Trent]

Oh I went into this with open eyes ref. the thirst given previous Subaru ownership experience! And strapping two bikes on the roof was never going to help. But in grin factor I'm getting, I think, a healthy return on investment. That super unleaded isn't going to waste, put it that way!

And thanks for the tip on the key too - forgive ignorance but you mean you can reprogramme any like for like remote Subaru key to 'talk' to the immobliser? Am not fussed about having a key + separate blipper as this is my back-up option and better than the alternatives should the original ever go missing.

Dan

[Bill]

Ironically the best mpg I ever saw in my Impreza was on a long run with bikes on the roof.

[Dan Trent]

Bill said:

Ironically the best mpg I ever saw in my Impreza was on a long run with bikes on the roof.

Did you have someone sitting on top pedalling?

Dan

[Dunk130TC]

Dan Trent said:

And thanks for the tip on the key too - forgive ignorance but you mean you can reprogramme any like for like remote Subaru key to 'talk' to the immobiliser? Am not fussed about having a key + separate blipper as this is my back-up option and better than the alternatives should the original ever go missing. Dan

So long as it's the same style key fob, my Outback was a UK model and I programmed it myself quite easily, although it was a bit nervy as you need to also code the working one too.

(My spares went missing and after falling over at the cost from Subaru I decided it was a better option to use man maths and to p/x against a BRZ. Mrs D then found my spares months later....so changing my car wasn't down to me!)
I've still got the found spare, it's a one button style like the one on the right.

[hot66]

My backyard .. great roads for the forester. Back in the day one of my company cars was a non turbo forester that I put 100K miles on in 3 years, all of those miles on North Yorkshires back roads and fields. Low ratio gearbox on the non turbo was useful too

[macky17]

I'm astonished how economical mine is. It's as fast as my RB320 was with the same engine (342bhp remap helps), weighs 100kg more and is less aerodynamic but it's about 20% more economical averaging 26mpg. Not sure how that's possible but I'm not complaining. The other day I was stuck on the A12 in 40/50mph zones for 30 miles and it averaged nearly 40 (by my calculation).

[Striple]

I'm averaging about 29mpg in mine over 4000 miles, bit of everything driving, town, country and motorway. Awesome fun to drive but the worst stereo system I have ever heard in a car. My phone can probably handle more bass! I've got a zero sports backbox on mine, not too loud when your cruising but angry enough when your put your foot down

[Bennet]

big_rob_sydney said:

Dont sweat the thirst. An alternative is to spend eleventy billion on a car that does better mpg. Whats the point in that? You've already saved a ton of money on purchase price right up front, and are enjoying the benefits from day one.

I think the Foz is a great car, and with a few mods, will run with pretty much anything over crap B roads, at a fraction of the cost. Only posers need get their pretentious noses out of joint.

At £10k or £11k for a 10 or 11 year old car, they're not exactly under priced... (I wish they were.)

[MDMA .]

Does the JDM one even have an immobiliser ? Don't think mine does. Remote just for unlocking / locking. Think that only offical UK cars ( which would not include FSTI ) had immobilisers fitted by IMGroup as part of the certification. They were Sigma ones.

You can still get blanks. Part number :
57497FC000

Edited by MDMA . on Thursday 1st September 15:14

[Dan Trent]

Ah! It's a smaller key than the big plastic lump contemporary UK Subarus had; two buttons too.

Sounds like some further investigation required.

Thanks!

Dan

[MDMA .]

here's mine for the FSTI. spare one works fine. obviously cant remote lock / unlock but works a treat. If yours was a Litchfield / semi official import, it may have an immobiliser fitted ?

[Dan Trent]

That's the badger (the one with the buttons) and I don't have any additional fob or immobiliser dongle so whatever's on the car is the OE fit. It's fresh off the boat and I'm the first UK owner so hasn't been through Litchfield or anyone like that. It does have some sort of alarm/immobiliser ('bwip' on remote lock, 'bwip-bwip-bwip' on unlock) that means if you just unlock with the key and not the blipper it won't start with the key in the ignition.

Joys of imports!

If anyone can point me in the direction of a (preferably northern-based) specialist who's good with this kind of thing I'd welcome any recommendations!

Cheers.

Dan

Edited by Dan Trent on Thursday 1st September 16:29

[V8RX7]

big_rob_sydney said:

Dont sweat the thirst. An alternative is to spend eleventy billion on a car that does better mpg. Whats the point in that?

Or you could enjoy the equivalent of 45mpg that I get in mine (not an STi but modified and remapped to 273bhp) - for sale in the PH Classifieds for half the price too !



It is the best car for the job but after 2 years I just fancy a change.

[MDMA .]

will ask. have a guy who comes on site to program all new blank keys for the lease companies.

[MDMA .]

Part number for the replacement fob ( with both buttons ) is : 57497SA010

[adingley84]

macky17 said:

I'm astonished how economical mine is. It's as fast as my RB320 was with the same engine (342bhp remap helps), weighs 100kg more and is less aerodynamic but it's about 20% more economical averaging 26mpg. Not sure how that's possible but I'm not complaining. The other day I was stuck on the A12 in 40/50mph zones for 30 miles and it averaged nearly 40 (by my calculation).

It might come down to braking a little less severely, on the power a little later etc etc as you're a bit more relaxed in the Fsti vs the RB320.

Otherwise it's just witchcraft!!

[smaybury]

I'm currently at the start of a six-month process to find my next motor: looking at the touring/avant models of the 335i, 335d, S4 with a budget of £10-15k.

But I keep on finding myself coming back to the STi. It would bring me in at the bottom end of the budget instead of the top end, provide as much bang as the others, with a bit more rough road capability.

[MikeGoodwin]

Such a cool car but if I were to get one the Mrs would go sick. Honestly think she wouldnt talk to me for months.

Which might be a good thing (visits classifieds).....