mystery machine

Very tasteful mods - just goes to show that a Bug WRX has the potential to be a great Scoob (not a fan of the standard car)

Cheers mate. Never heard of exec tec, do you have any links to those? Thanks.

Sound advice.

You're welcome again mate Here's a (not necessarily comprehensive) list of differences between the WRX and STI, kindly posted by Graeme Mac for me when I was considering flogging my WRX for the STI: http://forums.sidc.co.uk/index.php?showtop...p;#entry1246311 The list concerns late Blob and Hawkeye WRX vs STI, so some items may not apply to the Bug STI... but it may still be of interest. Somebody who knows more about Bugs than me should be able to offer more specific info! Cheers.

Aye, the Andy Forrest route makes most sense for cars that are out of mfg warranty. Certainly on later models the most obvious sign of PPP is a Prodrive back box. Generally Imprezas aren't worth mapping without first swapping out the factory cat(s), if that's any help. Road tax is the same for WRX & STI - they're both in the top band - £245 p.a. if registered before spring '06.Insurance is a little higher for the STI - about 10% more for me. Don't notice much difference in fuel consumption between the two, they are both thirsty! (both 2.5L, heavier on fuel than the 2.0L). One point though, the STI has to be run on 99RON (e.g. Shell V-Power) but the WRX can run on reg unleaded (although I ran mine on Veep). Some more pros of the STI over the WRX listed here (not sure if they all apply to the Bug-era STIs): http://forums.sidc.co.uk/index.php?showtop...p;#entry1246311 Not at all!

Blob WRXes are nice cars and should ride well around town on the standard wheels - I used to have a standard Hawkeye WRX and it was surprisingly compliant around town considering how well it handled. In fact, in some ways handled better than my STI on really 'yumpy' B-roads... I wouldn't become too fixated on PPP - if you want more power than standard you can easily fit similar hardware as came with the PPP (i.e. less restrictive exhaust, fuel pump, air filter) and then have the car custom-mapped, which will give better results than the generic PPP (i.e. more power!). Plus there's a fair chance a non-PPP car will have had its drivetrain less stressed over its life, possibly making it a better bet for reliability. Don't totally rule out a Blob STI, BTW. The STIs in general are quite different animals from the WRXes, with heavier-duty engine, gearbox and other drivetrain bits. They tend to have a rear-biased torque split too, which makes the car more 'dynamic' and less prone to understeer. Not to mention the firmer, if less compliant, suspension. My comments were more directed at the factory-standard Blob WRX, which I personally would avoid.

Thanks Craig. I'd be most grateful if you could answer a few questions... What model Impreza were you running them on? How did they compare with standard ride and handling (or whatever suspension you had before)? Did you play with the damper adjustments much, or stick to one setting? Why did you horse them? Sorry for all the questions, but it all helps me make an informed choice

Hello and welcome Under £6K might be slightly optimistic for a good Blobeye STI, but if your budget can possibly stretch then IMO that's going to be the best driver's car out of those you mention. I don't want to offend any Bug owners, but everything I've read about about them suggests that - as a driver's car - they were the weakest of all incarnations of the Impreza turbo (moreso the WRX than the STI). Things got better with the early Blob and better again with the late Blob and Hawkeye (mechanically very similar cars aside from the bigger engine in the latter). I don't have to hand a list of the changes that Subaru made between the Bug and Blob, but IIRC there were a few! Having said all that there are some very fine tweaked Bugs out there, some of which make regular appearances around here Just one word of warning though - as you're based in Edinburgh, if you do go for an STI model then make sure you're happy with the ride on the lumpy roads around your town. I have a Hawkeye STI and I'm happy enough with the ride quality, but then I do tend to avoid places with potholed roads, over which it can feel a bit 'twitchy' and unsettled. Happy hunting, and let us know how you get on!

Cheers, RP.

Hi folks, Still trying to decide what to do with my Hawkeye STI's suspension. Lowered springs aren't an option because of the inevitable 'knocking shock' problem. Currently looking at the Bilstein B14 coilover kit: http://www.motorsportworld.co.uk/framefix....&PID=792989 Also considering the KW variant 1 kit (about a third of the way down this page): http://www.just-subaru.com/suspension-hawk-eye-69870-0.html Both are adjustable for ride height but not for damping, and both are a few hunner more than Tein & BC... but the general opinion seems to be that you get what you pay for (esp. with regards to ride quality)... Cheers.

Cheers Arch. Glad I asked now, thought that was your way of telling me to avoid them!

Some belters there! And I love that the first one has been photographed outside the 'Chapel Of Faith' - a popular destination for classic-owning religious types prior to each MOT...?

Care to elaborate?

Nae bother And the 'Corona' logo is a particularly nice touch

I'll be honest in saying that I'm not a huge fan of decals, but if you're going to go as far as having the large Subaru affair on the doors and rear wing then I would say it looks better now you've added the extra decals on the bumpers, front wing and spoiler - balances it up a bit

...all of which leads me onto my next observation about cyclists: Easily wound up, aren't they? In all seriousness, the majority of chain-chuggers seem to get on OK with motor traffic - you're right cyclefolks, it's the minority of troublemakers that we tend to remember. We ought not to promote stereotypes Personally, I give plenty of room to cyclists when overtaking - at least 3/4 of one side of the carriageway - and I only overtake once I can see far ahead enough to do so safely. My gripe is more with the townie types, some of whom ride far too close to the car's bodywork in queueing traffic, and some of whom don't know how to behave when a car is driving slowly over a series of speed bumps. Seriously, I'm happy for faster-moving cyclists to overtake me if I'm taking my time over sleeping policemen - just don't do anything daft like undertake me in a narrow street when there's less than a foot between me and the kerb! Remember, it's good to rant

I'll lend you the rope!

See me, see cyclists...! I'm convinced one of the buggers put a dent in my wing (now fixed) as he squeezed past between the gutter and my near side And I had a would-be contender for the 'Tour De Fife' mouth off at me after I had slowed down and steered slowly left to take the leftmost of a trio of road humps (the only one you would take on a blind fecking corner!). In his impatience the bampot decided to undertake me, and apparently believed that I had moved left to 'block' him Some of them are OK, but there seem to be a significant self-righteous proportion who go out of their way to fall out with motorists. Nice way to carry on when you don't have insurance and have free use of the highways (i.e. no road tax specific to bikes)

Any opinions on Tarox? http://www.just-subaru.com/brakes-hawk-eye-78993-0.html

Sounds like you've tried a few different types. What kind of Impreza are you driving?

Cheers for the replies folks. I was happy enough with the performance of the standard pads (when they were less worn), and I certainly don't want any more brake dust than they produce, so I should probably stick with a fairly standard material. John - how do I know which pads use a 'standard' material and which don't? Cheers. Never done pads before What's the procedure then? Does the caliper need to come off or be prised apart or 'owt like that? Anything special I need to do to avoid introducing air to the system? Got myself a hydraulic trolley jack a few weeks back (primary for rotating wheels)... might as well use it when I can! Cheers.

Hi folks. Need to replace my front pads soon and looking at a few of the options (prices from ScoobyWorld)... Brembo £164 EBC Yellowstuff £112 Mintex £118 Ferodo £180 Can anyone comment on any of the above? Also, does anyone know who makes the O.E. pads? Are they Brembos? Who should I go to for fitting? Looking for someone who'll take care of the car and has premises that don't require a hike across badly potholed roads or forecourts. Many thanks!

No, the mystery is what happened to your sense of irony.Good luck with the s/charger (I'm not being ironic now).

Nitrous? That could be a neat means of giving a healthy boost up the straights without the encumbrance of adding heavy, handling-compromising turbo/supercharger gubbins

Looking braw Your blue calipers are a nice touch too - suit the silver.