Clio gone, sensible/grownup car arrived

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Ev0

Ev0

Ev0

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After almost 5 and a half years I've sold my Clio :(

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It's been an amazing car, lots of fun to drive, reasonably cheap to run and pretty much always put a smile on my face.

But I finally decided to change it. I fancied something different and wanted something a little more practical with a bit of a bigger boot.

So after an IainD style sale today meeting up with a lad and his family in Bristol it's gone :(

Thankfully Friday night I picked this up which should keep me happy for a little while :)

Subaru.jpg


It's an 05 model Impreza WRX in crystal grey (cracking colour imho). Being an 05 it gets the updated interior console and some other tweaks, something to do with the suspension being STi like struts? Plus red calipers as standard :p

I was after a change of car by the end of the year before I hit 30, but saw this one pop up for a decent enough price so stuck an ad up for my car to see if there was much interest. I'd pretty much agreed the sale on it not long after the ad went up so went to look at this and bought it.

I know it's not an STi, but for what I'd like in an STi (a Hawkeye Spec D) this was half the price and is still pretty nice.

Have done about 300 miles in it since picking it up (with about 2/3rds of that with the wife driving!) and it's really good.

Much softer, more relaxed than the Clio, but still has some oomph. Lower speeds bar the traction advantage doesn't feel much faster than the Clio (no idea if it is or not) but its when at higher speeds it just keeps going where the Clio would start to wheeze a little.

It's very comfy and quiet, although there's quite a bit of road noise through the F1s so not sure if a change of tyre would sort that.

Feels very solid and is better suited to the type of driving I do than the Clio.

I'll miss the little thing, but happy I've changed as didn't want to get 'stuck' with the Clio and got a reasonable price for it.

Just got to resist the temptation to buy stuff for it now, I'm already wanting a new backbox just to replace the standard twin pipes with a single exit (thinking a Hayward and Scott BB).
 
DiamondMark said:
Whats the difference between that and an STi?
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WRX is the softer/lower powered model. 225bhp, not as fancy as the STi but still not bad.

The STi Spec D which I'd like in future is a kind of hybrid, it's an STi but without the gold wheels, big wing, only available in this colour and with full leather interior. But still has the STi style wheels (in silver), STi engine etc.

icysniper said:
have to say your clio looks amazing considering its 10 years old :eek::D
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Looked even better today, the wife spent 6 hours cleaning it yesterday when I was out lol. Wheels are filthy in that pic too as I was running out of light late one night so didn't get time to clean them.

Will get the other pics up I've got of it later, haven't taken any myself yet but got the ones from the trader ad.
 
Spunkey said:
I give it... hmmm... 9 months until you're after an STi :D
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I give it 9 hours tbh, but as said at half the price it was a choice of get one of these now or wait an unknown amount of time.

I'd rather have this now and move on to one later :)

Running costs I'm not worried about, can afford them no problems.

In 2 minds on the spoiler, not sure what I'll do yet.

I've never been a huge fan of these style wheels but they actually looked alright in the flesh, but the silver multispokes from the sti do look the best I think.
 
ScoobyDoo69 said:
Don't put the spoiler on it. They look silly with WRX alloys IMO
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If anything I'd be tempted removing it altogether and just getting a nice little lip spoiler :p

I'm saving the big spoiler for when I (maybe) do get an sti :)

Off to emtpy the first tank of fuel off now!
 
lol you don' tknow how many times I've sat here contemplating getting another 19 as a toy! Chap who sits opposite me at work must be bored of me mentioning it now, although he's as keen for me to do it as I am!

Worked out first tank of fuel average 31.6mpg with a combination of really 'light' driving as well as booting it more than normal (well it is new to me :) ). So not too bad then.
 
ScoobyDoo69 said:
So is it completely standard?
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Yup, and looks it to me. Bar a weird tow bar like thing on the back the first owner used to mount a bike rack (it's not an actual tow bar but just something bolted at the back which I'm removing soon!).

Don't know how long it'll stay that way though :)
 
As mentioned for this I'd go the other way and just get the JDM STi lip spoiler you can get for it, that's if I bother changing the spoiler at all.

All being well job wise (public sector you see....) I'll move on to an STi later on. Maybe :)
 
I think that's going to be the plan, an H+S backbox and maybe centre section (will the centre make it a lot louder as I like having a quiet exhaust for once!) with possibly a remap later on.

Tbh it's quick enough for me so am happy, just want to change the backbox as I don't like the twin pipes!
 
Well didn't take long before buying stuff for it :p

60k service coming up, picked up a Samco intercooler hose kit and Prodrive backbox (both as fitted in the PPP). They should be here start of next week before it goes in for it's service, hopefully that'll give it some of that Subaru burble/misfire sound :p
 
That's the next thing on the list, then maybe a remap and that'll be it :)

Any point holding out for a prodrive centre pipe? I guess any will do as there's not exactly much to it.
 
Had the 60k service today, fitted the rear discs the chap I bought it from had but didn't have time to get fitted.

And most importantly it now sounds like a proper Impreza as I had my Prodrive backbox fitted. So much nicer than the pea shooter twin faux stainless pipes that come as standard.

Also fitted the Samco intercooler pipes and K+N panel filter last weekend, all of these things has made the car a lot better to drive already.

Pulls a lot smoother from lower down, there's not such a wait for everything to start happening. Not necessarily more powerful, just smoother which make it feel a lot better.
 
I think a remap with supporting mods gives anything from 260 to 280, that'd be with the mid and back section of exhaust, intercooler pipe and filter I guess.

Tempting to get it done, but that can wait as not wanting to go nuts. PPP on the cheap is all I'm aiming for, not wanting something tuned up to the limit, 260bhp and the good increase in mid range is plenty for me.

Some numbers and pretty pictures here as to what you get very easily :)

http://www.prodrive.com/up/03MY WRX PPP.pdf
 
No big difference, servicing is only marginally more, petrol is an extra few quid a week but nothing much really.

The stuff that does cost more isn't that much more, tyres are an extra £25 a corner (and that's with me using 15s in the Clio), front pads £30 more, discs £50 more, so not huge numbers.
 
With regards to the K+N, I spoke to many people on the matter and the general consensus was it's no worse than the stock filter and might be a little better and that it would not cause any problems.

As said it's the earlier MAFs that had problems, and the stock intake is good for much higher power than I would be running so a replacement element does the job nicely.

All I want to get done now power wise is a mid section followed by a remap, that'll do me nicely. Any more and I'd rather just get an STi/something else :)

Really liking the prodrive backbox though, just the right amount of noise (I know mid section will probably increase that but I don't mind :p) and looks miles better.
 
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