Subaru Impreza - Owners / knowledgeable chaps etc

Frankly I wouldn't touch a bugeye with a barge pole, the blob just betters it in so many ways.

I also wouldn't touch a P1 with a barge pole either. Looks dated, overpriced still, truly horrible inside and the engine will let go at some point.

Hawkeye - well yeah great - extra cc's but check out the additional kilos before you get too excited about them.

Hatch - less said about that the better.

Back to the blob eye then. Spec C is the one to grab if you have the funds and the insurers don't freak out over an import. Sub 8 mins at the ring.
 
Ranger07 said:
I'll be fitting all the parts myself and getting Andy Forrest to re-map it due to living in Scotland. Your bang on recommending API though, Spoke to David today about a full race engine and the guy is a fountain of knowledge. I will definately be ordering an engine from him at some point.
Click to expand...

If you have a look on their website under cars for sale, I bought the Blue Type RA last Monday.

IMO Merlin is being unfair to the old Imprezas - but then I would say that. I agree P1s are very overpriced but they are sort after and people will pay what the market dictates. For what I paid for my RA the only P1 I could get was a Cat D stolen recovered so not worth the risk.

You are always going to pay a premium for only having 2 doors. Personally its handier for me to have 4 although only those that know anything about Imprezas will know mines anything other than yet another 4 door.

If you can stand the styling I personally don't believe there is any point buying a blobeye over a bugeye until you get to late 54s which had DCCD. A Prodrive Style Bugeye STI is an excellent car and will do all the things a blobeye will do. Black one is by far the best colour and quite rare. If you can find a "Prodrive Style" JDM Bugeye STI its based on the lighter RA shell so very capable.

Hawks might be heavy but they've got the 2.5 so lots of torque to be had from that engine. Hatch looks better in the flesh than in pictures and the STI is the only one worth having. If I had to buy new I'd buy the hatch over a new Focus RS irrespective of how many milliseconds the RS is faster.

Classic shape Imprezas are an absolute steal right now. Low miles, low owners for 3K - utter bargain. And for under another £2K of mods you get 300+hp, lovely sounding engine and lots of fun. What more could you ask for?
 
Last edited:
panthro said:
IMG_0325.jpg
Click to expand...

That looks :cool:

RAWRRR! :D
 
merlin said:
Frankly I wouldn't touch a bugeye with a barge pole, the blob just betters it in so many ways.
Click to expand...

What? The only differences are minor exterior cosmetics between a UK Bugeye and a UK Blobeye until you go post 2005 which is when the blobeye got DCCD and a wider track.

Cheers agw :cool:
 
panthro said:
What? The only differences are minor exterior cosmetics between a UK Bugeye and a UK Blobeye until you go post 2005 which is when the blobeye got DCCD and a wider track.

Cheers agw :cool:
Click to expand...

Front end suspension & geo tweaks for reduced understeer & revised ECU map.
 
merlin said:
Front end suspension & geo tweaks for reduced understeer & revised ECU map.
Click to expand...

Im led to believe otherwise unless you can point me in the right direction.

Either way, a PPP bugeye and a PPP blobeye have the same ecu map and bhp, and if they did any changes to the suspension and geometry, then it clearly didnt work because the only effective way to cancel out the understeer is to fit an uprated ARB and droplinks.
 
panthro said:
Link? I googled it but dont know what Im looking for exactly.
Click to expand...

I actually have the document filed somewhere, I'm just trying to figure out which bloody machine it's on. You'll never find the .pdf online now, it'll be in some murky archive.

How about asking on SN?
 
Sneaky Peaky said:
Bugeye wheels and blobeye wheels are interchangeable, it's only the MY05 onwards STi ones which aren't and thats due to the fact they changed the PCD
Click to expand...



I was under the impression that the offset got changed between the blog and the bug. I remember because I knew someone who was selling blob wheels. I know there was a major change for the hawks.



M
 
No - PCD / track changed from MY05 STi onwards which was blobeye, alongside the other changes already mentioned ie console update, rear window spoiler, new steering wheel, wheel arch extension. I know this as my MY03 had all those retrofitted other than the wider track and different wheel hub.

I think you might be referring to the offset changes from classic to new age which could mean rubbing depending on tyre choice/width
 
Last edited:
The bug vs blob they did make changes to the suspension that's for sure, different gear ratio's in the 6 speed box too. Made for better response, and less understeer. Infact I think most press magazines commented on how tail happy the blob eye PPP was in the wet. I can get the tail out in mine in the bone dry, let alone the wet !! Whereas the bugs were more prone to understeer.

The PCD fitting of the wheels only changed 2005 onwards, from 5x100 to 5x114 and that was only on the STi models.
The bug and the blob STi models both shared the same wheels, so how could they be different fitting lol. Infact the WRX had the same wheels but just in different colours.

Save some money and get a blob without DCCD. Then mod it to circa 400bhp with a turbo swap and exhaust (full 3" system and a MD321S/T/V - depending on your power preference), change the suspension, and roll bars - then hold on tight and learn to drive it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom