Jackal

Hay guys, I've just started reassembling the engine on my 1996 GC8 Impreza import and I'm at the stage where I need to refit the cylinder heads to the freshly rebuild engine block. The problem is, when I was taking it apart I mangled one of the straight pins (the hollow dowles) that locates the head gasket and cylinder head to the block. I've tried googling the part number from opposedforces.com and I've tried ebay but I cant find a UK supplier for these hollow studs anywhere. Does anyone know where I might be able to get them from? Regards Carl

Thanks, I have PMed you. Also, If it ruens out it /IS/ and STI, that means the logbook is wrong, do I have to tell the DVLA? is it an easy thing to change on the log book and would it effect my insurance? I was looking at wikipedia (not the best refferance I know) and it was saying that the kurb weight of the STI was ####Kg and that didn't match the kurb weight of the car. I have a feeling that it's jsut a WRX that somone has spent alot of time making look like an STI, including having the STI ally bonnet fitted, which would also explain the respray. If so, I'd be quite glad of it, I dont want to worry about the logbook being wrong, or my insurance being void or having to wory about looking after a rare classic import, I just want a fun and practical car that I can make my own... that's wasnt supposed to blow up like the fiat... however the head gasket went... guess you cant have everything.

Oh yes, the bonnet is alluminium, I thought it was after market at first but then realised it was aluminium when I needed to drill a hole in it to get a new fixing in for the heat shield. What's the normal kurb weight of a WRX? because the VIN plate has it at a little over 1200Kg. From what I know, the only 'mechanical' differance between the japanese STI and the japanese WRX was an engine remap taking it from 240 to 276 HP, so I'm not sure the engine number would be different would it? No red bits in the engine bay though, even though the VIN does seem to sugest it's an STI, with it reading GC80 http://www.cars101.com/subaru/vin.html according to this, others have said that because it's an early car it may not have all the bits on it. But I will admit, it's very easy for somone to jsut add all the bits and badges, the car has aparently been resprayed.

The guy I bought the car off is the first one who owned it in the UK, he said "It had these pink badges on it, so I took them off coz they looked gay". I'm not saying that it being an STI makes it any more special, it's a really nice car I'm just wondering if it really could be an STI and not a WRX, if so, what's the differance? As requested, pics, already posted these in another thread, but you can have the links again. Car from the front Car from the back Car from the side Centre console I know the head unit is after market, but fitted in japatan. Dash and wheel Steering wheel looks too old not to be original. Seats

So my best freind Dan, came down in his 2010 WRX to ick me up because mine's dead >=( but he noticed something. He asked if the pink badge was standard, then he looked at the chassis number, and he mumbled something about geesea-ate or whatever... then he tels me it's actually an STI, not as I thought, a bog standard WRX, could this be true? If so, even with the head gasket blown, is this 1996 STI import a bit of a find? And what were the differances between the WRX and the STI of that time?

EXCELENT! I'll have the engine out in no time! Maybe I'll treat myself to one of those engine frame thingies to work on it. Thanks!

Got the manual, all that stuff's easy for me, the hard part as far as I'm concerned is actually being able to get the engine out, it's a compleatly differant beast to what I'm used to and never had to deal with an AWD system before. I'm just wondering if anyone on here has actually taken an engine out before and what peoblems they had when doing it. If you're going to tell me I have to have to support the engine from underneath insted of using an engine hoist and suspending it from the top, then that's the simple answer to me not being able to do it.

Okay guys, here's a question for you, what will I need to change the head gaskets on my 1996 WRX? Can it be done at home or will I need to take it to a garage for them to do? I dont have a ramp or anything but I do have high lift acle stands (4 off), engine hoist, high lift jack and a transmission jack. Regards, Jackal.

How critical is the offset?

What type of extinguisher's does everyone use then? powder of foam? Seriously considering getting one now as a freinds car caught light a few weeks back.

Okay, So I’ve had my first Subaru for less than a week and at the weekend I thought I’d give her the love and attention she deserves. 1. New alloy wheels: there’s a photo floating about of the 17” rims from my m8s 2010 WRX, took hours! Someone had used 21mm wheel nuts to hold alloy wheels on that were not big enough for a 21mm socket! Had to beat a large spark plug socket onto each one and remove it that way. 2. New wiper blades: went to Halfords Sunday morning to get them. 3. Screen wash: The screen wash tank was filled with just water, not ideal when it’s -18 below outside. 4. Coolant: I’ve put any old rubbish coolant in for now ‘cause the old stuff was just liquid rust (don’t worry I’ll put some good stuff in soon). 5. Heat shield: Made myself a new heat shield for under the bonnet because the old one disintegrated. 6. New Head unit: Had to rewire all cables one by one, soldering them in place and had to shave a little bit from round console so the DVD player would fit. So I do ALL this ever the weekend, I come to the car Monday morning, get in, go to start it and… NOTHING! So I go and try and undo everything I did over the weekend to try and get her working again. I tried everything, in the end after 2 hours I give up and get a lift into work, spend the rest of the day worrying and trying to figure out what else todo to fix it. When I get home I checked all the fuses, got a multimeter on the stereo wires, in the end I called out the RAC (should have done that in the morning but I thought it was a problem with the alarm system). So the RAC guy tells me to try and start the car while he tests it with a multimeter, after a few failed starts he goes to his van, picks up a large crowbar and tells me to start it again. DUNK… DUNK… DUNK… it went as he hit it on the starter motor, low and behold, she starts! All the day, I’ve been wondering what the hell did I do that messed up the car and it was just a coincidence! All that stuff done to the car was nothing to do with the starter motor sticking. So the RAC guy said I needed a new starter motor, I thought about getting one, then I decided that it’s probably not that bad. So I took it off, stripped it down, refurbished it as best I could, cleaned it with WD40 and alcohol and replaced it. 3 hours of work and she starts fine! So that was my Monday, how was your day?

I'm going to throw my 2p into the mix on this one as my best m8 is a petrochemist and does tests on different fuels. But more importantly, I've seen a non turbo car with V-power go on a dyno and come out at 194BHP, and have the test centre put the wrong car details on the results so they had to do it again, however... he didnt have enough left in the tank so he had to go fill up with BP regular. Now this was the same car, on the same day, on the same test rig within 20 mins between tests... it lost 14 BHP, now that is a LARGE percentage. Now I'm not going to say what car it was... but it was an import, so I'm going to say that it was probably down to it being tuned for the higher octane petrol (from the factory) for use in japstan. On a non import, non turbo I doubt it would have made much differance. But it's not a con, they really do put different things in the V-power to make it better, but you can replicate the results by adding accetone and 2-propanol to each tankfull, lowering the ignition point and increasing the RON.

As requested, first of the "make it my own" pics, was a knightmare fitting these, somone had used 21mm wheel nuts on alloy wheels you couldn't get a 21mm socket into!! I ended up removing them with a spark plug socket and beating it on to each nut with a hammer. Got the old 17" wheels, chrome wheel nuts and chrome locking wheels nuts on the car now from my m8's 2010 (not 2011 like I said before) WRX. Good job I changed them today, when removing the wheels I found a cut in one of the tires! Also fixed the flapping wing mirror, it still doesnt fold but that's because I've got the position sensor set wrong, need to take it apart again, but it's fine for now. Next is the DVD head unit and reversing camera.

Thanks for the welcome guys! here's a picture of the old girl. And here are some more low quality pictures taken with my blackberry, it's the only time I could see her in daylight hours. Front Rear Wheels Dash/centre console Steering wheel Seats Dents Can you guys tell me what bits are standard and what looks modified? I know the stereo is aftermarket and fitted in japan because the wires are twisted together and tape wraped and is looking in the japanese FM radio band. Also, the gear knob is a spare fiat one I had lying round, the one that came with it is aluminium... too cold for this weather.

Hey you guys! It's the Jackal here. At last I've got myself a Subaru, don’t know why, it just seemed like a good idea at the time. This time last week, my daily driver was a fiat Coupé 20VTurbo, heavily modified, sadly on Saturday the big end of one of the con rods decided it didn’t like it in the engine any more, now she's waiting a new engine, luckily, realising she was Italian I have a spare engine prepared. But while she's being fixed I still needed a nice reliable car to get to and from work and a friend had a lovely, metallic black 1996 WRX Import for sale, there and then had it from him. However that's not the full story, this time last month my daily driver was a Mitsubishi FTO import, which found a patch of ice on the way to work and I landed upside down in a field. Two cars in under a month, that's a personal best I wasn't looking to beat. So, that's my story, but why I'm here is to ask for some advice, I am not part of the Subaru fandom and I want to know how I should treat this new beast. I have two options, modify to my own tastes, or try to restore her and keep her as standard as possible. For example, the cheap looking carbon effect plastic on the dash: should I keep it because that's how the car was and is, or paint it to something I like more? Also, alloy wheels, do I want to keep the standard 16" rims or fit some 17"s? Regards, Jackal