I kan Haz nuvver kar.

[Pete-M]

Well, the Heep was beginning to irritate me significantly so after a long and drawn out trawl of t'interwebs I decided to trade it in. Seemed to be the easiest way to shift it, and the garage it went to was more than happy with it at my asking price.

 

So, now I'm the slightly amused owner of a '94 Subaru Impreza WRX. OMGJDMYO! but completely standard. 260 bhp, 83,000 mile, unspackered, 2 owners from '94 - it was imported the month it was built. No cunt-trumpet exhaust or other daft mods, standard wheels etc.

 

I don't normally 'do' Jap cars as I suspect most of you have noticed, but the Impreza turbo has been on 'the list' for rather a long time so I made an exception, especially as buying it meant I no longer own the Jeep.

 

What's it like? It's not bad at all. Ride is a tad stiff but most things are after the 604, seems to handle well enough... OMGJDMYO! factory quick shift and big brakes, no ABS so the pedal feels very firm after driving mainly ABS equipped stuff for years. Standard exhaust and air filter mean the engine is remarkably quiet on a run, no ptschhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! valve on it either so it has a rather pleasing wastegate warble when being thrapped.

 

I'm rather happy with it. Haven't worked out the MPG yet, but it's looking like it won't be too horrific if I keep away from the loud pedal.

 

Only thing so far to irritate me is that I've just spent 1/2 hour fitting my beloved Nakamichi head unit to discover that previous owner has whipped the speakers when he took his stereo out. Arrgh.

[trigger]

Sounds like a fair swap, I quite like the Imprezas, they drive well, quick and that boxer engine sounds great.

 

So any photos of this beast yet then?

[Pillock]

They're also pretty rare in standard form, and thus nice to see out and around without all the "cunt trumpetery" attached.

Good work. Should be fairly easy to move on when you get bored too, either to someone else equally tired of seeing OMGWRX555STD models, or to someone who wants to mod it.

[gallondrunk]

Excellent purchase, its a good car. I'd love to see a pic of the Nakamichi head unit

[Cavcraft]

You've done very well to get one that hasn't been hit with the crutch. It must be doubly nice to find someone selling one who isn't claiming it 4,000BHP because they put multi coloured plug leads on it and a neon washer jet. Also stupid exhausts=incredibly annoying long journeys.

 

I had one (council spec turbo estate) but didn't keep it long because of stupid 'modifications' which made it way too hard to live with, but to be fair they're an absolute riot to drive. Sadly due to this fuel consumption was often silly as it's almost impossible not to hammer them. Oh, and get ready for EVERY bodykitted spac chariot Corsa/Fiesta/Focus/Astra etc to try and have you off at the lights.

[RoadworkUK]

Oh, and get ready for EVERY bodykitted spac chariot Corsa/Fiesta/Focus/Astra etc to try and have you off at the lights.

 

That's exceedingly tiresome. I had the pleasure of driving a Nissan GT-R back from Edinburgh, via Glasgow, the length of the M6 back to Essex. Every Impreza in the land seemed to draw parallel and gesticulate to indicate that he wanted me to accelerate very hard. Thing is, as my driving license is extremely important for my work, and the M6 seemed to be lined with filth that night, I shook my head and waved for them to bugger off. Except once. Maybe twice. And I saved any naughty-boy action until three in the morning when nobody was about.

 

Officer.

 

Have fun, Pete. I mean it's no 800 Vitesse but shut up Earl you massive twat

[cort16]

I hope it's a blue wagon with gold wheels. I think the early ones are pretty cool as they're already starting to thin out because of "modifiers" turning the boost up to 112 psi causing them to either blow up or end up upside down in a blackberry bush.

[dollywobbler]

Oh, and get ready for EVERY bodykitted spac chariot Corsa/Fiesta/Focus/Astra etc to try and have you off at the lights.

 

This is why I reckon my pal's done the sensible thing and gone for the Forester with the same engine. Ludicrously quick (especially by the standards of what I'm used to!) but looks utterly bland.

 

Pics please!

[rml2345]

THIS FRED IS USULIS WIVVOUT PIKSHURES.

Sounds like a decent deal Pete. I've often heard that they're a giggle to pilot, but everyone round here seems to have been hit with the chav stick VERY hard.

[cort16]

Oh, and get ready for EVERY bodykitted spac chariot Corsa/Fiesta/Focus/Astra etc to try and have you off at the lights.

 

This is why I reckon my pal's done the sensible thing and gone for the Forester with the same engine. Ludicrously quick (especially by the standards of what I'm used to!) but looks utterly bland.

 

Pics please!

 

The turbo foresters are great, I'd love one. They seem to have the power but with a bit more space and subtly.

 

The Sexually Transmited Infection (STi) Models are mental

[hairnet]

the big zorst noise is ace

 

for 5 mins

 

stealth wins

 

ps pics or we come round and add more spoilers

[Negative Creep]

U SHUD MAKE IT LUK LIKE COLIN MCRAYS CAR THAT WUD BE SIC. MY M8 HAZ ONE HIT FITTED THE FIVE INCH EXORST RUNNIN 400 BRAKE DESTOYED A LAMBERGEENI THE OVER DAY

[raggerminder]

I considered a Subaru Forester a couple of years ago and ended up opting for a Mitsubishi Legnum. I really liked this car as it had terrific performance and 4 wheel drive but didn't label me as a twat. The biggest downside was when I took it to my local Mitzi dealeship and they didn't know what it was and then tried to screw me for £2k for an MOT and service - both of which I had done for about three hundred elsewhere.

 

Rob

[KruJoe]

My father had a Mitsu Evo 6 Ralliart and he was screwed over every few months on servicing the thing. And it was virtually unusable. He chopped it in for an early Forester S-Turbo and he loves it. It looks like a shed from all the hard work it does, but he loves it. It would be more useful for hauling stuff about if it had the low range box of the non-turbos, but it copes. I don't really like it - the steering is lifeless, and the clutch feels 'inside out' and weird, and it's hard to make the quick gear changes it needs. IT is brutal in a straight line, but not fun really. I've had three 'classic' Imprezas - all N/A -and they were all a better steer than the Forester. Much more 'together'.

A '94 is fairly early, pre-facelift, and Corolla-bland to look at. Not a bad thing, but the interiors are dull as ditchwater, and lack any useful storage spaces.

I'd like to try an early turbo, I wanna know if they feel like disjointed Forester (but lower), or a faster Impreza. Hopefully the latter.

Enjoy it Pete!

Oh, an my Ma has a new shape Impreza RX (n/a, looks like a Mazda 3) and it's pants compared to my old Classic 'Sport' estate.

[Guest]

I have sampled this fine automobile. It is fit.

[Pete-M]

I've worked out that it's doing 26-27 mpg driven half sensibly too. Which is nice.

 

I have a few little jobs to do on it. The black bit around the rear windows needs repainting as it's gone all shiny, it needs front and rear speakers fitting properly (Ta to El Watanape for lending me a pair of speakers for the rear to keep me in sounds for now), an oil change would be wise as these things need clean oil in and I'll have to take it for an expensive trip to the wheel alignment place to get the geometry set exactly right as the steering is a bit lighter on left hand turns than on right handers, normally a sign that the camber adjustment is a teeny bit out. Also I need to replace the 'lecky aerial mast as currently it doesn't do it's 'lecky thing. The motor is going but the aerial stays resolutely still. Then it's a trip to the dent man to get a couple of little dimples removed. There's a humongous stone chip dent on the leading edge of the bonnet which needs sorting, it's an alloy bonnet so probably susceptible to such things.

 

It's a fun thing.

 

It wasn't a straight swap for the Heep, by the way. I had to chuck a few hundred quid in to get it. Worth it though. I'm seriously considering having it as an only car* and getting the thing as nice as possible. Can't see it devaluing as it is a pretty thing and as you lot have said it's rare in standard spec.

 

Jon took about 400000000000 pics of it tonight, so hopefully he'll chuck some up shortly.

 

 

 

 

 

*Although there's a good chance the Jag will stay for those days when hard suspension and a manual box get to be too much.

[Pete-M]

Turns out the speaker spacers were still fitted in the front doors. Major bonus stylee, so I had a scout around various places and managed to score a pair of cheapo JVC speakers. They don't sound bad and this is never gonna be a sound-off car. It's just so I can listen to some tunes on the way to work etc.

 

Dodgy photo of Nakamichi for whoever wanted to see it. Taken at 2am on an ancient camera phone for proper AS cred.

 

[gallondrunk]

The stereo requester was me. Thank you good sir

[RichL]

OMG JDMWRX WULD U SWOP 4 MY FOCUS 1.6. Sounds like a good buy, you should have some fun with that I would really like a 94-98 UK spec 'Turbo', unmodified and well looked after, I don't have the storage for such a nice thing, but then I probably wouldn't find one anyway...

[Guest]

Got to say I was really impressed [sorry] with this Subaru last night. It's refreshing to see one as the maker intended without a 6" fart cannon roaring around a sink housing estate. The early models were the prettiest in that strangely anodyne Oriental way. Makes it hard to photograph, actually.

 

I was having quite a lot of issues with my kit last night (ask Pete who was chortling away as I turned the air blue), and as such I was only happy with a couple of these pictures. Still, Pete came over and burned £5 in fuel rolling up and down the access road, so it would be rude not to throw a few up, eh?

 

 

 

(Lighting by Pete-M for Sony Ericsson)

 

 

[autofive]

fantastic

 

TNT reg. number says it all

[Angrydicky]

I don't think I've ever seen one without a drainpipe exhaust before! Looks good.

[Pete-M]

Why people fit drainpipes to 'em is a mystery to me as the standard system seems well judged. It's not noisy when being driven half sensibly yet when given a bootful of loud pedal it sounds pretty damn good.

 

I imagine a big pipe probably releases a couple of bhp but it'd increase dibble interest by far more than that, and it'd be bloody irritating. As it is with the standard pipe the flat four thrum is always there but it's not annoying. Sounds good with the window open, I'll give it that.

 

In other news, the garage rang today "Just spoken to the previous owner, it's due a cam belt...". So it's going to my tame spanner monkey next week. Couple of hours labour and £55 for the belt. Not too bad. I don't fancy having a go at that and he reckons they're pretty easy.

[rml2345]

I'd forgotten how decent these look without being chavved to buggery. Chances of seeing another standard one would be slim...

[rml2345]

I'd forgotten how decent these look without being chavved to buggery. Chances of seeing another standard one would be slim...