Mother Theresa

Phone David at API engines. he knows everything there is to know about Susbaru gearboxes. http://www.apiengines.com/contact.php

I get 8mpg on the track...

Cheapest way forwards (I went this way) is an STI turbo (vf35 not 34 though either would do nicely), sti pink injectors and a remap. £1k will easily get that lot done. If you can get an STI intercooler at the same time which require neither remap nor clever fitting and will keep things cooler and therefore safer. At that point stop with the engine and beef up brakes and suspension.

Hmm. My days of 28mpg are long gone - sad to say. I've had mine for 6 years now from new, nothing else on the market tempts me so why change. Enjoy your toy... from another old codger.

I've had 912s and 452s and both have been fine (the latter probably better). I use a set as my winter tyres as well and keep Paradas for the summer.

Why spend £140 a corner which are going to get knackered after three or so (dry) trackdays when you can have nearly as much fun with £60 a corner Falken 912s or similar which last the same length of time? If you were racing I would understand but for purely pleasure and hopefully improving driver skills you want it to slide a round a bit. My tuppence worth anyway.

The engine bit is made difficult by the AVCS (variable timing) that is present on an STI and not on a WRX. The electrics are not present to run the DCCD either - that is overcomable by buying a dedicated unit but that is £200 or so. More sensible would be to keep the gear-box which has a market vaue of £2-3000 these days and the STI bottom end and sell the rest. Better still keep gearbox, sell all the rest and get a 2.5l bottom end instead.

I'm a bit confused by this. "Tried changing the turbo" is a big job unless someone has done it recently and loosened everything for you.

Forresters subaru moight be able to help too.

I think it needs to come down a bit. A) it will look better; it will corner better.

Midland Wheel Supplies are usually cheaper than most.

I've done this for myself and a mate who didn't dare. The oven method is very easy, just put it to its lowest setting and wait; if it won't come wait a bit longer. Easy peasy. Neither of the ones I did have leaked yet. The black mastick is extremely sticky at this sort of temp an reseals itself very easily (to everything if not careful).

So there I was, arriving home from work last week and the Missus says "Ooo, your indicator thingy [beautiful but not technical is my beloved] was hanging off when you drove past the window". Out I rush and stone me she's right. It's out because there is a bloody great dent in the wing where someone had obviously opened a door onto it when I was in the car park. Not much I could do there and then (except fume) as off walking in the Lakes for the next 5 days. But this morning I took a little peek at the CCTV, which we installed last year after a spate of these little vehicular love bites, and saw the little scrote do it, and he knew he'd done it, and he just drove off. But he comes back every month to service some boxes of female sanitary type equipment so we'll have him. The footage shows his door actually rebounding off my wing so there is no doubt at all who did it. Time for some quotes...

Sorry about the delay but been up a a mountain or two in Cumbria for a week. E-mail sent.

Let me know your e-mail and I'll send you some instructions with pictures.

I have two kids and my MY03 WRX has been the family work horse since it was bought new - until we got a Galaxy 2 years ago. It remains a workhorse and daily comuter but just a track orientated one.

One absolutely pissed past me at a track day on Tuesday - damn that dry weather

Note to self. Do not be tempted to try this....

My WRX is mapped up the edge and I get more det with V power than I do Tesco 99 - so with the price difference I only go one way.

Never heard of this before. Worth giving David at API a call as there's not much about Impreza gearboxes that he doesn't know. Third gear is the WRX weak spot but only at big torque and rough hands.

There were two types of pocket when I did mine. A smart one with a damped flap (£15) from a dealer and a plain black pocket (about £6) with no flap. Both fitted in a treat.

Enjoyed the thread but rather surprised to see an 16g going in. Any plans for a change?

You will need two sets to do what you want but you can stil do it for £150 a corner. I have Yokohama parada 2s for day to day driving and Falken 452s for track and the depths of winter. Just bought a repeat set of each from the bay at £630 delivered. Job done.

You won't see 28mpg again unless following a friend down the M5 who is pulling a trailer in his Discovery at a constant 50mph. That was the last time I got it anyway.

It's usually the head gasket though.