Pics Of Me Motor

[mystery machine]

Everyone's at it now that the sun's out, so I thought I'd better take my turn...

It actually has quite a nice shine on it just now, but you can't really tell from the way the light was hitting it when I took the snaps...

It's bog standard (apart from the stereo!), so maybe no' much of a conversation piece

[mystery machine]

P.S. I did well to score that reg, especially considering that I had to outbid these three wannabes:

[ANDYJDMSTI]

that is one hell of a shine you got going on there.

what you polish it with?

[mystery machine]

that is one hell of a shine you got going on there.

what you polish it with?

Thanks, Andy - I must admit that I didn't really think the photos were doing the paintwork justice. The sun was fairly high when I took the pics, and you know how it is - when the sun is lower in the sky you can get a far cooler 'glassy' look Having said that, the pics don't show up the cat scratches on the bonnet either, so that's a bonus!

I've only polished it twice since purchasing last autumn (although the most recent polish was last week). I use this:

http://www.turtlewaxuk.com/prod.asp?Partcode=FG5585

IIRC, it's a silicone-based polish, so one downside is that it can be difficult not to leave polish streaks after you've taken it off (only visible in direct sunlight - although perhaps a machine buffer would help with this). Having said that, any streaks usually disappear after a couple of washes.

[StrikE]

gleaming m8, nearly a pity taken it out to get dirty

[marky.t.s]

a very tidy and original lookin' scoob.

[stubaroo]

Lovely example.

Hawk-eyes are the bomb.

[thewelsho]

Lovely example.

Hawk-eyes are the bomb.

Yes they are... and nice car Tam. Its saying "lower me, lower me, lower me please!"

Can't wait to get my car back to shine it up and get all my new bits on it!

[scouk]

Thats really sweet! Another vote for hawkeyes! (despite owning a bug)

Nice crisp finish there

[mystery machine]

Cheers for the compliments, guys

Its saying "lower me, lower me, lower me please!"

Thought that someone might say that

Aye, it would certainly do the looks no harm to lower it a tad, and that would likely sharpen the (sometimes woolly) handling a little too. But because of the gash state of the roads I drive to work I don't have any plans to touch the suspension for now - perhaps once it's well out of warranty and I'm facing a bill for replacing the OEM choc-absorbers...

It doesn't want for grip, that's for sure...

Can't wait to get my car back to shine it up and get all my new bits on it!

Is that you getting your car park and boulder damage sorted at the moment, John?

[mystery machine]

P.S. When I add up all the wee things I'd like to improve about the car - i.e. sharper steering, better braking, less understeer, flatter cornering - it would make most sense just to flog it at some point and replace with an STi

[kennyuk300]

P.S. When I add up all the wee things I'd like to improve about the car - i.e. sharper steering, better braking, less understeer, flatter cornering - it would make most sense just to flog it at some point and replace with an STi

Very nice looking indeed, good job on the polishing Have had the same thoughts about buying an STI then the mods would start again

where would it end

cheers kenny

[C_WRX]

Funny how all the nice weather brings out the polish !! Now, queue the rain for the week ahead !!

Nicely done. Must admit to quite liking the hawkeke front grill look, even though I'm a Blobeye owner.

Did you clay it ? A lot of folk overlook it when giving the car a good clean/polish, if you look at ScoUK's thread you can see what comes off and that's possible after only 6 months ! Just adds to the overall eventual finish.

[thewelsho]

P.S. When I add up all the wee things I'd like to improve about the car - i.e. sharper steering, better braking, less understeer, flatter cornering - it would make most sense just to flog it at some point and replace with an STi

Na, you want the STi for the stronger gearbox and internals, not to mention the bigger turbo, therefore more power You'd probably still need to work on the suspension, steering and understeer on the STi (though new geo-settings now, will take some of that away) - you will get the improved braking as well too though. I'm a gearbox away from an STi, but it's still not an STi - its faster, ha!

Yeah, getting the carpark damage sorted and all the other little dings as well (extra £150 for the dings ). I dunno if they can do anything with the damage to the bonnet without filler and a full respray, so that will likely have to wait. Looking forward to getting it back

[mystery machine]

Na, you want the STi for the stronger gearbox and internals, not to mention the bigger turbo, therefore more power

Power, power, power... it's a bottomless pit, I tell you!

In all seriousness, the stronger gearbox, stronger engine internals and bigger turbo are all very nice, but don't really address any of the issues I have with the WRX. I think you've probably listed the reasons why you have an itching for an STi, John

Of course, as you say, when it comes to sharp handling there's plenty room for improvement in an STi too, but for me it's all about striking a livable balance. I mean, I can understand why some of you track hounds go to great lengths to tune your engines/suspension to their absolute peak performance, but I don't intend on going on track at all, so any car I drive has to be able to do the business back and forward to work on our less-than-perfect highways - without twisting my spine or rattling my fillings oot A boggo STi would (for me) probably be a good compromise between performance and comfort.

Yeah, getting the carpark damage sorted and all the other little dings as well (extra £150 for the dings ). I dunno if they can do anything with the damage to the bonnet without filler and a full respray, so that will likely have to wait. Looking forward to getting it back

Cool - looking forward to seeing some Harvey Nics when it's finished (rhyming slang for the toffs there)

[mystery machine]

Funny how all the nice weather brings out the polish !! Now, queue the rain for the week ahead !!

Nicely done. Must admit to quite liking the hawkeke front grill look, even though I'm a Blobeye owner.

Did you clay it ? A lot of folk overlook it when giving the car a good clean/polish, if you look at ScoUK's thread you can see what comes off and that's possible after only 6 months ! Just adds to the overall eventual finish.

Cheers, Colin

I saw ScoUK's thread, and was most impressed by the lustre on his bug. I was also intrigued by this 'clay' business, as I've never heard of it before! Must look into that...

Aye, cue the rain... never mind, at least it's beading off the paintwork now!

[thewelsho]

In all seriousness, the stronger gearbox, stronger engine internals and bigger turbo are all very nice, but don't really address any of the issues I have with the WRX. I think you've probably listed the reasons why you have an itching for an STi, John :D

Well, I already have the engine internals done. I busted a piston a week after the bigger turbo and sports cat were fitted. The power was upped from standard to 340bhp and 400ft/lbs. Now have forged pistons and Roger Clark racing shells, but the gearbox (also busted, but sorted under warranty) is still standard and likely to go the route of the previous one. I have spent money on brakes, suspension and handling mods as well as the turbo and exhaust, so trading in for an STi is really not feasible. As I said, a gearbox and that's me sorted!

You should consider an anti-lift kit, front and rear droplinks and geometry settings and you will notice an appreciable difference on how your car handles, and this will not compromise the ride-quality Should get that little lot for around £250 - £300 (Hypertech do free fitting on the bits mentioned above).

Go on, you know you want to

[mystery machine]

Well, I already have the engine internals done. I busted a piston a week after the bigger turbo and sports cat were fitted. The power was upped from standard to 340bhp and 400ft/lbs. Now have forged pistons and Roger Clark racing shells, but the gearbox (also busted, but sorted under warranty) is still standard and likely to go the route of the previous one. I have spent money on brakes, suspension and handling mods as well as the turbo and exhaust, so trading in for an STi is really not feasible. As I said, a gearbox and that's me sorted!

OK, I'll rephrase that - you listed the reasons why you should have bought an STi in the first place! Only kidding, mate - very easy for the likes of me to be wise after the event, eh?

I heard rumours of your extensive mods - and that's a helluva list right there for a relatively new motor. Were you aware that you may be risking your engine & gearbox when you made the engine mods or were you of the mind that the WRX drivetrain should have been able to take the extra grunt? Just curious.

Have you got an STi steering rack too, then? (the STi steering gearing is higher - another one of the reasons I fancy one).

You should consider an anti-lift kit, front and rear droplinks and geometry settings and you will notice an appreciable difference on how your car handles, and this will not compromise the ride-quality Should get that little lot for around £250 - £300 (Hypertech do free fitting on the bits mentioned above).

Go on, you know you want to

I considered the fast road geo settings when I had the four wheel alignment done, but given that the car covers roughly 60% of its mileage on the motorway, I was concerned about the possibility of uneven tyre wear. As I understand it, an anti-lift kit may have the same trade-off.

Quite interested in the droplinks, though... are you certain they don't affect ride quality? I'd have thought a harder material would transfer vibrations more readily (I suppose the question is whether or not the vibrations would be transfered into the cabin).

I should probably explain why I'm keen on upgrading the whole car rather than making mods here and there. Thing is (and this may sound like a strange thing to say on this forum) - as much as I love my Scooby, the car isn't really a hobby for me. I'm into driving, whacking it around bends, etc and (hopefully) improving my driving skills all the time I'm at it. But when it comes to cars, I just like to buy a car that I can enjoy more-or-less as it stands, and is also as new as I can afford so that it should give me the minimum of hassle (that's been my experience of old vs newer motors). Cars come in and out of life so often that I can only become so enthusiastic about owing them. I just don't like the idea of investing a whole load of time, money and emotion in something that will be history in just a few short years. Been there, done it and cannae be ersed any more. Absolutely no offence meant to those who like to mod BTW, each to his own!

Having said that, I'm open to the idea of making the odd inexpensive tweak here and there - so thanks for the suggestions on how to sharpen the handling - I might just look into those droplinks

Cheers,

Tam.

[frank c]

Tam,

Ask Geo (cusco kid) for a wee bit of advice re: handling..

These cars grip well but the handling does respond well to a wee tweek or two.. It doesn't need to be ott but an ARB , D/links and decent geometry will transform your car(or give you more confidence) so you can enjoy it more in the twisties.. Easily removed and put back to standard aswell

ps: standard geometry settings usually wear the outside of the tyre so a mild tweek may be beneficial..

Edited April 13, 2009 by Frank C

[mystery machine]

Tam,

Ask Geo (cusco kid) for a wee bit of advice re: handling..

These cars grip well but the handling does respond well to a wee tweek or two.. It doesn't need to be ott but an ARB , D/links and decent geometry will transform your car(or give you more confidence) so you can enjoy it more in the twisties.. Easily removed and put back to standard aswell

ps: standard geometry settings usually wear the outside of the tyre so a mild tweek may be beneficial..

Cheers, Frank.

I had heard that Geo is a bit of a whizz with all things handling - I'll bear him in mind if/when I get around to doing something about this (assuming I can't stretch to that STi).

I'm a bit wary about sticking a stiffer ARB on there - the independence between the two sides of the car is IMO one of the reasons it rides so well (considering its cornering capabilities) - it's just great at coping with roads that undulate quickly from one side to the other. My last car had a rather stiff front ARB from the factory (presumably to compensate for its pretty rubbish suspension) and it rode like a wh0re for it - a bump on one side of the car and the whole thing was all over the place.

The WRX does roll a bit, which can play on your confidence, and less roll is always nice, but I think I've acquired a bit of a feel for it.

ps: standard geometry settings usually wear the outside of the tyre so a mild tweek may be beneficial..

Frank, that's a very good point. It's the outsides of the front tyres I'm seeing wear quickest, so a bit of negative camber should actually help there... hmmmm...

Although I understand that the fast road settings spec a wee bit of 'toe out', which I've read can increase tyre wear ('feathered' tread?). Maybe I'd get away with it if it wasn't too extreme.

Cheers, mate

Edited April 13, 2009 by Mystery Machine

[thewelsho]

I thought the risks were minimal, but I got unlucky I guess. I never thought about the gearbox at all though, oops! Ignorance wasn't bliss. Ha! No STi steering rack; I was unaware that it was different, more ignorance...

Yes, dialing in negative camber will eventualy lead to uneven tyre wear, but you can rotate the tyres once in a while to keep it at bay and you can also use less aggressive settings to keep uneven wear to a minimum. The ALK doesn't affect tyre wear. I believe the ALK will allow more negative camber if you want to use it, but it does a different job in that it prevents the front end from unloading under accelaration, therefore leading to less understeer. The droplinks provide slightly less body-roll and wont compromise ride-quality .

I understand cars coming in and out of life, and that is exactly how I thought too, until I met the Impreza and everything changed! Of course, I knew nothing about cars or modding cars until I signed up here. At that point all the bad people made me do bad things, ha! Currently, I can't see a point where I will get rid of the car, its way too much fun.

Let us know how you get one with your minor tweeks, and if you wanna try out my car with the coilovers etc., you're welcome anytime

JW

[mystery machine]

Cheers again, John.

I wasn't aware you were so new to the game. I'm kind of the other way around - I used to know more about cars, as I seemed to spent a lot of my time fixing/maintaining the basturds. Could quite happily sit and read a Haynes manual of an evening when I was a younger lad (!). Forgot way more than I ever learned. Never was much of a modder, save for the odd set of alloys - never had the spare cash (or credit) for much else!

Thanks also for the offer of trying out your coilovers. I may well be looking for advice on replacement springs/shocks at some point when my car's out of warranty and the OEM parts give in...

Edited April 15, 2009 by Mystery Machine

[thewelsho]

Cheers again, John.

I wasn't aware you were so new to the game. I'm kind of the other way around - I used to know more about cars, as I seemed to spent a lot of my time fixing/maintaining the basturds. Could quite happily sit and read a Haynes manual of an evening when I was a younger lad (!). Forgot way more than I ever learned. Never was much of a modder, save for the odd set of alloys - never had the spare cash (or credit) for much else!

Thanks also for the offer of trying out your coilovers. I may well be looking for advice on replacement springs/shocks at some point when my car's out of warranty and the OEM parts give in...

You're welcome I have a full set of OEM shocks and springs just waiting for some "out of warranty soul" to come along and snap them up!

JW