mini-me

i'm jsut trying to grab the attention of as many people as possible - i DESPERATELY need fuel rails. please see post in for sale and wanted. thanks lewis

Bit of help needed. I fitted EBC drilled and slotted disks about 18K miles ago, and new greenstuff pads. Over the last week, ten days, i've been getting steeringwheel judder when i brake lightly, and the judder is much worse when lightly braking from motorway speeds. I'm conscious that disks can warp if you sit with your foot on the foot-brake after heavy braking when you are stationary, so i've been very conscious Not to do that. any other reason why i'm feeling this judder? Help please. thanks Lewis

could someone briefly explain why exhaust back pressure (in a non-turbo) is necessary. I've just put my two cats back on (it used to be de-catted) and a turbo back-box to quieten the roar before my road trip. why is back pressure good, and what is a good measure of performance? thanks

Thanks for all the comments. I'll admit, it's an unusual idea, however i'm excited about it. I'd thought about buying an older car (£3-4k) however i'd then be stuck with an old engine and chassis, which could need unknown expenses to keep it roadworthy. i've uprated my wheels, brakes, shocks, springs, anti-roll bars, and added front and rear strut braces. My chassis is in good road-holding condition, so why spend money on a new one??? My biggest problem is a history of epilepsy - my premiums double (with adrian flux) if i try and insure a turbo. However, i can up the cc's without a drastic increase in premium. It's a funny old world. done a couple of external mods - added an STi roof spoiler, and also a waist spoiler. Added morrette headlights, and changed my grill to a black one - looks ace and will update my logo soon. Also added wheel spacers - Eibach - look so much better too with wheels filling arches! costs are about £4.5k + vat so far. Am looking forward to much more torque, which'll mean greater drivability - a different response while crusing. Thanks for ur thoughts Highlander - i'd considered each of them, and am happy to proceed. My epilepsy thing needs another 2-3 years to clear, and my plan then (if car still intact) is to Supercharge it! How about that - An impreza, labelled as a 1.8GL with c.400bhp? Think it would get away from the traffic lights quite quickly and cause a few surprises.... For that mod though, i'd be taking hte car apart again, to strenghthen everything, including internals, drivetrain etc - need to start saving cash! Car is booked at WRC TECH for first three weeks in July. Chris Davies (wrc tech) has been very helpful so far, and has just given sensible advice, which is great. He's told me the process and potential problems, but essentially been supportive (understandably!). Roll on july!

Hi Guys, Just a bit of news. I've put a deposit down with them for my 2.5 engine conversion. Am upgrading from an MY'93 1.8GL (4WD) to a 2.5L engine. Keeping is NA though. WRC TECH believe they can get about 220bhp from it after a remap, lighter flywheel, lighter pulleys, tuned exhaust, possibly some new injectors and a new fuel pump. All due to be done in the first three weeks of July, so we have plenty of time to discuss any minor points that should be considered before works commence. Anyone done a 2.5 conversion, and had to spend more than expected? cheers Lewis

so i read that when you replace the standard size wheels (alloys) on your car with large diametre wheels, you ought to re-calibrate your speedo, as the larger circumferance has an effect on the measurement of speed. has anyone had their speedo re-calibrated after fitting larger tyres (alloys), and do they know where best to get this done (scooby dealership, kwik-fit, specialist garage, etc) cheers lewis

cheers for kind words guys... trying Confused.com at the moment - at least they have a box that you can tick to confirm that you've passed an IAM test.

ha - just passed my IAM test this morning!! Huge relief, and actually a really good feeling after a few months of practice! anyway, as well as now having improved observation skills, i've also earned myself a chance to improve my insurance premium. Any suggestions as to who offers IAM drivers better rates? Am about to tackle Elephant and see what they offer? any thoughts?

discovered the two driving lights had both stopped working yesterday, so investigated it and found a few things... 1. that the bulbs are a nightmare to reach - had to take the units out and disassemble most of it 2. that both bulbs were absolutely fine (once removed and tested on separate power source). 3. had to purchase a new relay switch - trial and error testing cos couldn't think of anything else to test - all connections and fuses were good. Relay switch at fault - halfrauds came up trumps. The relay switch was not something i ever expected to go wrong though.... Anyone else ever had to replace their relay switch? lewis

just bought ordinary wheel spacers - they are a coller with five screw threads for the alloys, and five holes for the original screws. it's touch and go as to whether they protrude too far from under the bodywork. My next mot's due in august and if necessary, i'll take them off before then. The spacers are sold as either 20, 30, 40 or 50 mm per axle so there's lots of choice - you only really get to see whether they're too big or not when you've put them on. not too sure about the sus extra stress - while the handling is a bit different, the temptation to drive it harder is very evident! i'll keep an eye on it though. and the geometry will definitely need checking. Mud in winter is pretty unavoidable - i'll just enjoy giving it a good clean more often - might look into some bigger mudflaps though!

just fitted wheel spacers at the weekend - what an Excellent cheap mod! got them from demon tweeks - got the nicest (most expensive) ones i could find - excellent quality and easy to fit. made all the difference though. Car has a meaner stance, and looks so much better with the wheels peeping out from under the arches. I'd strongly recommend it to anyone wondering how to improve the appearance without necessarily getting bigger alloys. pics to follow i hope. lewis added a pic below - had only done the back wheel at that point - does it look like it protrudes from under the arch? Will i have probs at mot?

Excellent - Top Chavving! i've got myself some 50mm Eibach spacers all ordered and in the post. Wider stance = flatter cornering Superb!

i want some "wheel spacers" or "washers" so that my wheels fill the arches a bit better. Just some basic spacers to sit between the alloy and disks/drums (only about a quarter or half inch). does anyone know of such an item or where i could buy some? thanks Lewis

I put my Scoobysport backbox back on the car today - i've been lost without it, as i haven't stopped smiling all day! How is it that a Scooby burble can warm a smile every time you think of hitting the loud pedal? previously, i had a full decat (sport) set-up, with a OEM turbo backbox at the back - all scooby parts seem to fit my car... It rasped too much, however it was much quieter and performance wasn't compromised. I put one of the cats back on and the Scoobysport backbox and was overjoyed to hear a proper burble again - PROPER JOB as those somerset farmers would say. i've no doubt that everyone'll know what i mean!

i'm still in my 1.8 AWD GL - goes nicely though and handles very well. about to upgrade engine to 2.5 though! Still gonna stay NA though, but an extra 700cc wouldn't go un-noticed - i'll make sure of it. I can always bolt on a Garret blower at a later date...