mystery machine

At last, some love for the 2.5L and its wide spread of torque!

I had John square my STI - very thorough work and a top guy to chat with

From a purely mechanical point of view, I'd say yes - and the late Blobs too if we're talking STIs. Some say the 2.0L lumps are stronger, but that only seems to be an issue if going for big power upgrades...

Lush! Do you reckon the rear tints were a factory option on the hawks? You see them so often on UK cars (including mine) that I have to wonder... And I must be the only hawkeye STI owner not to have a front splitter What's your suspension setup?

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsArticle/AllCars/250386/ "Go figure". as the septic tanks would say...

Some say that the Wallace Monument is a life-size replica of his own phallus, and that if HE'D commissioned the restoration of The Great Hall, it'd at least have been the same colour as the rest of the castle...

You're probably right, Stewarty - I would imagine there's more demand for the Blob lamps than the Bug items.

Brilliant! Didn't see any Impreza tail lamps left on his eBay shop, but I must keep an eye out...

Definite improvement I'd love to replace my hawkeye's el-neddo "lexus style" tail lamps with Blob tail lamps, but TBH it's way down the list of priorities... much did those set you back, if you don't mind me asking?

You're bound to notice a nice improvement in sound quality once you have the new unit installed and have set its EQ. Indeed!

Some instructions here: http://forums.sidc.co.uk/index.php?showtop...t&p=1255240 Unfortunately the link to step-by-step photos is broken, but it may have been posted elsewhere...

Hi Rab. Yes, the standard Impreza stereo system is gash! I replaced the head unit in mine with a JVC item. Only about £90, but a big improvement in sound quality (USB-stick MP3s too). High quality replacement speakers would no doubt improve things further, but I'd suggest that a new head unit will make a bigger difference on its own than replacement speakers... the OEM HU really is that bad! Don't get me wrong - it's not going to sound anywhere as nice as an amp'ed setup, but for a relatively small outlay a HU swap is a big improvement over the standard kit! Halfords supplied my stereo, ariel adaptor and loom adaptor - Skidz supplied the lower tray to cover-up the spare din socket (the JVC stereo is single-din).

How does the bounce compare with the standard setup? I find the standard STI a bit on the bouncy side, i.e. underdamped... Certainly be interested in hearing how they've affected steering response and body control once you're all set up and have had a chance to try them out on some twisties P.S. The ride height you've used looks spot-on - did you fit them yourself?

That was quite 'rally' for the Stig, no?

P.S. Removing the 'STI' decals from the front bumper suits your car too. Is that an air intake on the lower left, BTW?

That's a really nice hawkeye you have there Looks more like the standard car with the grilles painted black, but that's a good thing to my eye! The silver mesh grilles suit the blue hawks (e.g. GB270), but not so much the neutral colours IMHO Let us know how you get on with the BCs... I need to do something about the suspension on my hawk STI - excessive body roll is preventing the car from fulfilling its potential

Car's looking grand - nice shots I am also digging your black alloys and fludmaps!

Great idea

Lookin' "maaaaghty faaaaaahn!", as they say Tennessee I pass through Aloha from time to time myself - think I've spotted you a couple of times (mine's a met grey hawk STI). Did you have the wheels refin'ed in silver then?

I guess as long as you're happy with the trade, that's all that matters...

Fair point, Archie. I'll do a bit more homework first, maybe seek some advice from an expert or two... but probably not the type of expert who maps cars for a living I'd be surprised if removing the second cat makes that much of a difference to airflow through the engine that it'd put the ECU out of normal operating range (assuming there are always other environmental factors that can affect airflow anyway), but yeah - pure speculation on my part... Anyway - cheers again, it's all good stuff

Thanks for your reply Richie. OK, as two of you have replaced/removed cats without remapping and without any apparent problems, and that I've found at least one replacement pipe for the rear cat at under £120, I think this might be a worthwhile, if subtle, mod Archie, I appreciate your advice re mapping... I must admit I'm a little sceptical though. From all that I can gather, these ECUs have some degree of adaptability to minor changes in the system. And with no disrespect to Andy Forrest, being in the mapping business he's career-bound to recommend remapping whenever credible. Having said that, I would seriously consider seeking his services should I make any more significant changes (such as replacing the more restrictive downpipe cat). Candidate replacement rear cat pipe here: http://www.scoobyworld.co.uk/catalog/produ...roducts_id=1116 Any recommendations for other suppliers or trusted fitters? Thanks again folks

Hello and welcome

The fact that the driver left the scene isn't necessarily bad news for you - as long as they're insured. The important point is that you have a witness to the crash. On four occasions I have been hit by a third party who was at fault. On three occasions I had no witnesses and the claims took between 4-18 months to settle (all in my favour, gladly). On the occasion where I did have a witness, the claim was resolved within two weeks. Makes all the difference! The fact that, in your case, the third party isn't owning-up may drag things out a little longer than if they'd lodged a claim - but your witnesses should ensure that things are settled in your favour.

Guys, thanks for both your replies Arch, that diagram is brilliant - thanks very much for posting! You seem to be suggesting that a 'turbo back' system would be the least restrictive option, which makes sense. In that case, why do you suggest replacing the rear cat with a through pipe and replacing the front cat with a sports cat? (and not the other way around - especially as that rear cat seems to have some kind of oxygen sensor). Is the rear cat the more restrictive one then? And is there any value in simply replacing the rear cat with a cat delete pipe (and leaving everything else standard)? Thanks again