monsterenergy

It'll be interesting to see Subaru UK's response if new cars fitted with Pro-R engine mods start having engine failures? Will they try to weasel out the warranty claims? I also wonder what the take up rate for engine mods on the hatches will be with folk already worried about doing power upgrades without forging their engines.

This years Subaru rally podcasts have just started again - some noisy hatch action! Subaru Rally Podcast Link

I've been looking oot for the "waving" but nobody's waved at me yet ... when I rode a motorbike there was always alot of waving and nodding and stuff too. The bird says that other Subaru drivers always check each others cars oot when driving aboot - she says "what is it about Subaru drivers eyeing up each others "nostrils" (what she call the bonnet scoop haha). F**k it - ahm gonna start waving and flashing and honking heaps

1. If your sidelights won't switch off look for the parking light switch on top of the steering column . 2. Use the search function on the forum before asking the same old question . 3. The best first mod for an impreza is the exhaust (backbox at least) 4. Buy a classic 5. Make sure you get regular quality oil / filter changes every 3 - 4000 miles 6. Always run the car on good quality fuel - V Power/BP Ultimate/Tesco 99 and add octane booster for safety in an unremapped import 7. Avoid "chip"ing an impreza - get it remapped by an expert like AndyForrest (Apexi for classics, ECUtek for newage) 8. Sell the Newage and buy a Classic 9. Always wait till the engine is nice and warm before giving it full pelt and let it cool down befrore switching it off 10. Upgrade your brakes before modding the engine 11. A VTA dumpvalve isnt really a good idea unless your car is getting remapped to compensate for it. It will momentarily make your car run rich as the ecu gives fuel for air which has been dumped and not recirculated. All you are missing is the gay noise. 12. Solid rear droplinks and a decent suspension geometry set-up are probably one of the best sub-£100 modifications you can do to a standard car. 13. new ages will undertseer when at the limit 14. If you have a classic get Strutt Braces. The improvement is outstanding! If you have a new age...no luck! loL! 15. Clean out the boost solenoid once in a while and dont fill engine oil right up to max. 16. Go to the SIDC track days at knockhill, you get free tuition from an instructor if you want 17. Love every minute of driving and owning it (it will make handing over the credit card much easier) 18. Goto meets/Knockhill/Crail and tell us who you are?We don't bite sometimes 20. Join the SIDC and you'll get discounts on insurance and dealer supplied parts in addition to track days. 19. For some obscure reason there is a lot of mention of goats & homosexuals in here. Do NOT let this put you off our forums. 99% of our members are "normal" but we are all fans of The Hoff. 20. Always prefill the oil filter when doing an oil change 21. Dont believe everything you read on the forums. 22. Send off for a Shell card 23. What ever BHP you get, you will never be happy 24. BLUE is the best colour. 25. Is your car standard? - leave it that way. 26. Watch out for the Impreza's "lift-off" oversteer. It's wicked, particularly on a wet Knockhill! 27. wave to other scoob drivers 28. never buy a set of lexus rear lights 29. sidc love some photography of your beloved 30. dont sell your scoob you will regret it and will end up with another 1 31. The best place to hang out on saturday nights is at OSIDC 32. Modding is for MEN 33. Going JDM is for winners..........leave the chocolate UK's to the Willy Wonka lovers! 34.^^Andy speaks the truth, JDM is the way forward!! 35. K.I.S.S. Keep it simple stupid and don't mod what doesn't need modding (dump valves etc) 36. NEVER let the other half known how much youve spent on the car.she will be jealous! 37. Dont go to Halfords for your servicing parts - they are more likely to give you filters for a lada or skoda. 38. the bright button really does just make the clock brighter 39. Never believe anything read on Ebay 40. Never buy a impreza when you get 10 spare ST2 (spaceman) 41. CLASSIC ARE The GREATEST IMPREZA BUILT. 42. Try not run your impreza top end as the boxes dont last long(went through 3 last time) 43. Believe the petrol gauge - yes it does use that much! 44. if you have mudflaps watch when reversing near kirbs or they get caught on wheels and bye bye back bumper 45. Your steering wheel lock isn't broken, you're supposed to have to turn it 180 degrees before it engages. 46. Boost solenoid 'chatter' isn't necessarily indicative of a fault (although the Scoob moguls say it can be eradicated the by above-mentioned cleaning). 47. Uneven tyre wear is common. 48. 10 miles use out of a set of newage shocks isn't unheard of - but if you're still under warranty, they're covered. 49. The rear proximity alarm (on newer Imprezas) tells blatant lies in the rain. 50. Door panels dent quite easily. 51. It's won't stop entertaining you on twisty roads! 52. Never use the standard horn in an aggressive manner in a road rage situation, you will just look silly!! 53. You will find that Classic owners are really insecure: they talk about how good their cars are over their Newage counterparts. They be fooling themsleves but they soon realise not to listen to what TheWelsho has to say 54. Welsho knows as much about cars as Fish know about Riding Bicycles ! 55. you will find most newage owners have a huge chip on there shoulders because A) they have lost 3/4 of the value of there cars through depreciation over two years B.) they weigh a bloody ton C) they are almost all are blue with gold wheels D) they are jelous of there classic brothers who continually spank them round knockhill 56. Try not to hold your foot to the floor and do 140mph + for mile after mile, they dont like this and tend to go POP, Take it up have a play and bring it down again. 57. If water/coolant pissed out of the front bumper at the passenger side, then you have more than likely over filled your coolant (overflow pipe) and not burst a pipe. 58. You will find that Classic owners who have bought Newage quickly revert to classic's as they find out VERY quickly just how good the classics are compared to floaty newage boats 59. If in absolute doubt, ask the question. someone will know! 60. If you intend to mod your scooby to anything over 400bhp, you'd better off starting with a newage STI.Atleast you'll never need to replace the gearbox unless you are pure brutal. 61. Don't post Ken Block's Gymkhana vid. 62. Forget all this "Classics are this, New Ages are that" rubbish. ALL Scoobs are feckin ace 63. you will always stop what you are doing when you hear a scooby burble approaching... firstly to check its not your car but then just to check it out and listen to it going by 64. Buy the best parts you can afford so you won't need to upgrade them again later 65. Once you start modding it's hard to stop and newage 2.5's rule! 66. Go on the SIDC track days - gives you the safest environment to learn how to handle your car, fairly risk and damage free 67. Buy a 'Hatch' it's the way forward 68. Every time you look at your Subaru you will smile and be glad it's your car a feel good factor (not many cars give you that satisfaction) 69. Dont let you Wife/Girlfriend drive it or you might get it back looking different to how you last seen it. 70. Dont park your car in multi-story car parks or area's were there may be NED's hanging around as your car will either be stolen or vandalised!! 71. Buy a second car (Not a Scoob) so that when your Scoob breaks down you still have a car to drive about in 72. You will never tire of listening to the burble and will laugh like a small child when it pops, bangs and sets off car alarms 73. Folk that have sold their scoobs always seem to miss it when its gone. Learn from this and don't sell ! 74. Dont skimp when buying tyres .. can make a massive difference .. stick to for eg Toyo Proxes, Goodyear Excellence, Michelin Pilots etc.. none of yer Nankang, cheapy rubbish. 75.never buy a used subaru or any used car infact from evans halshaw, unless you like paying for it but never actualy owning it as its always sitting at the back of their garage getting fixed 76. Give it a wash and a hug every weekend. (stops it spitting you into a ditch) 77. Get your tyres and geometry checked out in the spring - its surprising how much they go out after hitting potholes after the winter 78. Play around with the C.DIFF, can make a big difference to the way the car drives/handles, personnally i like it open. 79. If you have a front splitter take it off in the winter......THE SNOW WILL KILL IT!!! 80. When parking in a supermarket car park, park taking up 2 spaces (park up the back of the car park if ye must) - this'll stop yer doors getting dinged

Looks like 2008 PPP mods are just a new high flow intercooler hose and stainless steel sports exhaust back box? I'm sure I they replaced the downpipes too - I'm pretty sure I was handed the stock downpipe after the PPP was fitted. Now - I don't want a hoorin loud exhaust system - kinda happy with volume just now but maybe a wee bit more wouldn't go amiss. I don't really want to replace the PPP backbox or PPP downpipe - is there another component to change? I'm maybe kinda happy just to fit induction kit at this time cos can do that myself - I've no workspace to do exhaust mods and am keen to do work myself while I'm learning about car stuff. What's the bigger bit on the mid pipe of the stock one in this picture? Is that the Cat? Maybe could do something there with the mid-pipe?

Was only rear windows was after so that's cool. Thanks for the offer!

I've got the Prodrive back box and the other prodrive bit they fitted - nae sure, was that a sportscat maybe? Sorry, sounding like a scoob noob! lol I dinnae really want to replace the Prodrive exhaust parts. Well - if these Zen mob are ok I'll prob see about that when I'm hame - save a run to Edinburgh, although might have reason to go there anyway so will wait and see once I'm organised.

Thanks for the info. Ordered the K&N Typhoon! Will be sitting waiting for me by time get hame fae this trip. Saw Wallace Performance did Ecutek but thought they were mostly specialised in Evo's so a bit wary? With the occassional scarey stories of blown engines on the hatch I want somebody who really knows what they're doing - so will prob check my calendar and look into it more when I'm hame. Take it I should be ok to install the filter and then drive it for the remap (eg Aberdeen to Edinburgh) - as long as drive it on mode on the SI-Drive controller and take it nice n easy? Looking forward to getting this fitted

Many thanks for the info lads! Think I'll get one of the Typhoon kits ordered up today. Regards the remap - is Andy Forrest the guy to contact, or can somebody in or enar Aberdeen do a decent job? I've heard PPP already uses an Ecutek chip - so could this just be reprogrammed or would I need to purchase a new unit and license do ye reckon? taaa

About a month too late for me! A Yamaha R1 hit into the back of me about a month ago and it was a fair scutter to get his insurance company to accept the fact that my car was getting taken to Subaru Franchise bodyshop instead of their approved Dodgy Daves Panel Beaters! Still I kept on at the insurance and even though they said I had to go and get my own estimate from a Subaru franchise the work is now booked in for a couple of weeks time.

Hello folks, I've got my credit card in hand and am ready to buy an air filter but can you let me know if I'm getting the right bits? on Andy Forrest Performance's website he list's this: My car already has a Prodrive Performance Pack installed. Now I've gone onto K&N filters website and found two parts listed. The first is a panel filter --> Panel Filter The second is a Typhoon Air Intake Filter --> Typhoon Can somebody confirm if it's the second one I should be buying? Now - I already have a Prodrive ECU - would this cause problems if I change out the air intake? Would I still gain power from making this change, how much, and does it change engine sound? And will I still pass my MOT with the new one fitted? Anything else I need to know - or can someone recommend an online shoppie or somewhere to get a good deal on one in Aberdeen area? Much appreciated!!!

Nice one - thanks for the info! Away at work just now but see if i get a chance to contact Motorwerks when hame? Any idea of a rough cost? Will also try that hairdryer thing too I reckon. Re the springs: did ye fit them yerself? What equipment is needed? Does it give it a much lower ride or better handling? They're bloody brilliant - give a great aeroplane effect sound when ye get above 40mph - real head turner

Oh - and is it safe for the paintwork to steam off the "subaru" on the left and the "impreza" on the right side of the hatch to just leave the "Sti"? Think that'd look nae bad - taaa! and like Columbo says - just one more thing - if I was to buy a Prodrive spring kit - would this be much different from Sti springs - and could i fit it myself? (probably using a cars jack and just in a garage without a an elevator or ramps? I've seen the spring kit for £75 but seems too good to be true?

Nae been on in a while... here's this years mods so far (including the unwanted modification by a Yamaha R1 hitting into the back of me - thankfully at low speed, nobody seriously hurt and their insurance sorting everything asap) Got a STI front lip spoiler, installed some OEM exhaust finishers myself... what next - gotta be more engine stuff cos the prodrive kit made a big difference and i want some more of that! Another couple of things I funcy - when I get the insurance work done for the bump I'll get a subaru stainless bumper top so as I dinna scratch it when putting stuff into the boot, and I'm also thinking about getting my rear windows tinted - can subaru do this? or where else in Aberdeen? Wallace performance? Thanks loons!

If ye buy a standard STi hatch ye can replace the double-din head unit with a full touch screen sat nav/dvd and have yer ipod or a hard drive in yer glove box - controllable from the touch screen

I got my PPP from Ian Grieve just about 6 weeks ago - had to wait a while for Subaru to get them one but only a few weeks. Fitted while I waited and burble-burble-burble I was on my way. For insurance just called up Elephant and they topped up my policy for aboot £30 a year or something.

Anyone know anywhere in the UK that stocks SPT parts? I'm looking at getting the SPT Boost Gauge but can only see American sites selling them. Anyone fitted one of these? Few vids on YouTube and threads on yank forums for this. Should work shouldn't it? install pics

First one I drove was about 13 years ago when I was 19 - my boss sent me round to the bank for him cos he was too busy. I was a gold coloured one back in about 1999 - think it was new at the time. From the second I drove that car I wanted an Impreza. Wanting an Impreza was what made me get a job offshore - only way I could see to afford one. Then after 5 years on working and saving I got my STi hatch. It took a while but boy was it worth the wait! The fuel costs a bomb and I scare the shit oot myself by driving too fast - but no other car I'd want just now.

Don't suppose you have black alloys and mud flaps fitted, do ye? If so, saw ye in Anderson Drive Shell one day - nice motor - nae sure about the Monster Energy hoodie though lol I've got the dark grey metallic - only seen one other in Aberdeen, then the missus says she saw one and it had "shiny bits where the exhausts were and think it had more writing on the back"... so have to get those exhaust finishers ordered up pronto to keep up with the Jones' lol. Assume it was a 330s she saw, that's actually one thing I didn't like aboot the 330s was the cheapy looking 330s badge on the back.

I went to look at the 330s when I was buying my hatch. I ended up getting a normal STI hatch and have upgraded it a bit myself. Mine came with the same 18" Prodrive alloys that the 330s came with. Since then I added a built in Kenwood SatNav/DVD, PPP kit and front lip spoiler (and a subwoofer in the boot lol). The 330s comes with Recaro seats that me or the missus didnae find comfy at all - much preferred standard STi ones. And I wasn't really bothered about the blacked oot rear windows. Fitting the PPP kit was well worth it. Getting the torque lower in the revs is good. After reading about possible piston problems I didn't want to risk a different ecu or invalidate the warranty so went for Subaru approved Prodrive. Reckon the front lip spoiler is the dogs bawz too. Next on my list will be the alloy exhaust finishers and trying to source an SPT boost gauge. Anyone here any idea about where to get one of these gauges? Overall - happy with the way I've gone about things and don't think the cost is much different from if I'd got the 330s. Hatches are the business

Thanks for the info - will take a look!

Anyone recommend some good makes for a front lip spoiler/splitter for a 2008 Impreza Sti Hatch? I'm a total newb with any sort of car work - would this be relatively easy to fit myself or am I as well putting the car in somewhere to get it put on? Aberdeen area preferred but anywhere in Scotland would be fine. Anyone recommend some good parts websites I could browse them? Lastly, do Prodrive do one and is their website still working? I'm working abroad just now and nae sure whether it's my crap internet connection or whether their site is down. Thanks!

You've maybe made up yer mind on the blue - but here's some live footage of the black car in action at the snowdrift rally 1998. Just found this podcast the other day and thought of this thread. 2008 Snowdrift Subaru Podcast

Nae bad ,like! but I'll make do with a wee Monster sticker on my back window and a can of Monster in my cup holder haha