Starting again.... with a Hawkeye
12 August 2010, 08:35 PM
#1
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Starting again.... with a Hawkeye
Why, what and how!
So the Spec C has gone..... after reaching the heady heights of circa 600bhp, achieving podium positions during ScoobySprint 2009 it was a sad day when the Spec C finally left for new ownership. It's been a long 5yrs of ownership with up's and down's. Whilst I may of done some things differently (if I were to do it again), I certainly don't regret what I did do.
All that is history now and it is now time to move on...... something different and in many ways, hopefully better!
Anybody that read my original "ScoobyNet Project Car" articles which saw the evolution of a standard Spec C through various stages, will realise that at first I concentrated on the more straight forward, but purposeful modification levels. In many many ways the car was so perfect at (by todays standards) a sedate 370bhp and mild handling mods. The biggest issue is that most of us get all bent out of shape about BHP figures, dyno graphs and sales bull, without realising that you may not actually be faster...... unless you have the most important thing, which is driving ability. Perhaps the key factor that is overlooked by most us!
They do say the older you get the wiser you become. Whilst that may be true, I also think that the more cash you spend and the less you get in return, makes you think "I'm not doing that again!". Whether you are 20 or 60, I dare say the realisation of what your money has returned is learnt regardless! Above all most of us learn from experience...... you don't stick your hand in the fire after you did it the first time and realised you had to visit the hospital! I appreciate there are always exceptions to the rule though!
So what with the latest car then?
It had to be an Impreza (no surprise there then!) and a Newage. In my opinion what better than the last of the saloons.... a Hawkeye. I have ALWAYS loved the styling of the Hawkeye and although it is no major advancement on the previous Blobeye, I think it really does look great. Looks are a personal taste I know, but the looks of the Hawkeye certainly are to my taste.
Apart from revision of model I also had the obvious choice of engine. Namely whether or not it was a 2ltr or a 2.5ltr. I appreciate this may be informing some people how to suck eggs, but not everyone knows why and what. If anyone knows me of old, they will realise I do like to go in to detail on explanation and my articles can be slightly verbose! If it helps one person gain some extra knowledge and is found to be interesting to read... it's all good! Anyway... I love documenting this as much as actually carrying the mods out!
Excuse me as I digress.... back to the car!
So which one then.... 2ltr or 2.5ltr?
Even up to today's current models, the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Impreza STI's (or derivatives) are 2ltr. US/EU/UK spec STI's changed to the 2.5ltr set-up as part of the Hawkeye model change in those territories.
As good as the 2.5ltr is as regards to it's driveability (great spool and torque) it really is a bit hit and miss reliability wise. Whereas the 2ltr varieties have a much better reliability record and are great to thrash if you really have that need to with the 8000rpm rev limit available!
JDM's always had an edge over their UK equivalents, specification wise, but certainly since the latter Blobeye models that disparity has certainly been narrowed.
Taking everything in to account it had to be a JDM of the Hawkeye variety.
After deciding what car I wanted I then went about looking for the right one.....
I have known David, who run's API, for a number of years now and on the off chance he let me know he had a JDM Hawkeye that was available. Anyone that has looked for Hawkeye's (especially recently) will realise that the availability of these is thin on the ground to say the least. What with the fact that not many people imported them, together with the fact that to import one now would involve a lot of cash because of the poor YEN exchange rate, makes these cars fairly rare. Suffice to say I was slightly surprised to find a mint and low mileage example on my doorstep (API is only 10 miles away from me).
When I first saw the car I immediately fell in love with it (apart from the boot spoiler, but I will go in to that further on!). What really drew me to the car was the colour. It was in the great (imo) Crystal Gray, which is the same colour as the S204 (special JDM edition based on an enhanced STI). It has a sort of golden 'tinge' to it and looks quite classy. Certainly a world apart from the "in ya face" white of my previous Spec C. Perfectly understated (if you can ever call a STI that) for my new requirements.
The single item that drew my attention and all for the wrong reasons, was the "Carlos Fandango" boot spoiler. It had been fitted with a WRC copy rear wing, which had been the requirement of the initial UK purchaser (long story!). David explained that it would be ditched as he knew I would never be seen dead with that thing on the back of the car!
JDM Hawkeye STI with "Carlos Fandango" Boot Spoiler
Anyway, spoiler aside David threw me the keys and I took it out for a test drive.
It's strange how I suddenly remembered how good the standard Spec C felt engine wise, after only 10 mins of driving this STI. Twin scroll turbos are just great for response and spool. I know the car was over 200bhp less than the Spec C that I drove to API in, but when you realise that from the off and you appreciate the car for what it is, a fantastic A to B blaster, you really do appreciate the finer things in life. Giving the engine and chassis a bit of a "shoeing" down a country road, you soon realise how good the engine is and in reality how quick it is as well. If you can attain license losing speeds with not much effort, you put in to perspective how much power you REALLY do ONLY need for a road car to be quick and fun.
The chassis felt superb and certainly appeared to be better than the Spec C's MY03 chassis. Grip was fantastic and all in all it appeared to hide it's weight very very well. Those RE070's are truly fantastic tyres!
After some research it appears the split on the centre diff is 41:59 bias, which may not be as nice as the 35:65 bias of the earlier models, but for a road car it is fine to be honest and certainly felt OK.
Overall as a road car it was absolutely perfect and exactly what I wanted. Comfort, responsive and most importantly..... it had air conditioning! Although this would still be a second car I really wanted the creature comforts back again.
So... a deal was agreed with API the next day!
Some of you may think "how can you go from a trick Spec C down to a lowly STI... and be happy!?". Fairly easily to be honest!
Whilst the Spec C was/is a great car, it does have it's negatives which are further magnified by the level of tune that the Spec C had moved to. Don't get me wrong, Spec C's are great bits of kit even in standard guise, but the later the Spec C the less it has over the same year JDM STI. When you look at what you want the car for (in my case the majority will be road use) it makes less and less sense to buy something that is costing a premium, for "bit's" that you won't take full advantage of.
Let's compare the MY06 Spec C against the MY06 JDM STI:
Weight
MY06 Spec C = 1390kg
MY06 JDM STI = 1460kg
This is one of the key area's that individuals always hone in on as regards to the "great" benefit of the Spec C. In reality 70kg's is not that great and for 90% of us would not make any difference to our ability behind the wheel, especially in the "real world".
Whilst I understand that reduced weight can benefit handling characteristics, if we just isolate power to weight ratio it makes interesting reading.
MY06 Spec C with a power level of 360bhp (360/1.39) has power to weight of 258.99bhp per ton.
MY06 JDM STI with a power level of 360bhp (360/1.46) has a power to weight of 246.57bhp per ton.
For the MY06 JDM STI to have the same power to weight as the Spec C at 360bhp, the STI would need to have a power figure of circa 378bhp. Not a fat lot of difference there in reality.
So the overall comparison would be around 10stone in weight. The chances are that nearly all passengers would be over 10stone, so as long as the Spec C car had two in it, the JDM STI would have a better power to weight ratio!
Engine and Transmission
Exactly the same engine, gearbox and diffs (although I believe the front diff may be different) between the two models. The only difference being the Spec C has a roller bearing turbo as opposed to a sleeve bearing turbo on the JDM STI. Meant to provide better spool, but I have yet to see any proof of that.
Supension and Brakes
If you are not comparing any special editions of the MY06 Spec C (RA, S204, RA-R) then the suspension and brakes are the same.
Other
Spec C has anti surge fuel pump, transmission coolers, oil cooler, different radiator, rear strut brace, additionally strengthened front suspension turrets and larger turbo intake pipe.
So all in all not a fat lot of difference, with most of the "other" additions available (should you wish) as aftermarket modifications.
On average you would be looking at between £3-£4k difference between a MY06 JDM STI and MY06 Spec C, with the difference being against the Spec C. When you consider all of this I would suggest that the JDM STI is a lot better value, certainly as a road car and no worse off for it in reality.
So what are we going to do then?
I vowed I would never go down the "full hog" approach again BUT I will have to do something to "spice things up" a little!
The current remit is to get the best out of what I have got, with a few after market tweaks.
After recently witnessing John Felstead perform in his virtually standard JDM STI at ScoobySprint (placing within the Top 10 amongst modified and pro entries) and the recent testing day at TOTB, you certainly appreciate just how good these cars can be. Driving ability is a big part of that and something I will carry on with expanding over the next 12 months. Taking this in to account and the fact that the car will be used primarily for road use, any modifications need to be cost effective and at worst provide the same driveability as currently available with the OE car, but hoping to better driveability where possible. That means no £3k suspension set-ups or £15k engine builds.... well, not just yet!
That may initially sound boring, but I will be looking at the latest developments in twin scroll turbo chargers available and how much benefit items like ECUTEK's MEGAROM and EasyECU can provide, along with some other "choice" modifications.
I have no preconceived power goals, but the engine will certainly remain untouched (for the time being) with the emphasis on maintaining all the advantages of the OE drive and under bonnet look. All this without the need to open the bonnet between services and just worry about when I need to fill up with fuel. I also want to investigate such things like map switching with VPower and 95ron maps, whilst still utilising the OE ECU.
I also will not be making any drastic changes in the handling department, because for the remit of road use, with a few track days and sprints thrown in, I suspect it will be unwarranted. The car will even stay on it's OE 17" rims!
That is just a taster of the kinds of area's I want to delve in to and hopefully produce interesting and informative content along the way.
Obviously I will not be able to do any of this on my own, so I am continuing to work with Litchfield Imports, Tracktive Solutions, ECUTEK, API and Keith Michaels Insurance, who's support I am very grateful of.
So without further ado I need to pick the car up first.... that will be the next instalment very soon.
So the Spec C has gone..... after reaching the heady heights of circa 600bhp, achieving podium positions during ScoobySprint 2009 it was a sad day when the Spec C finally left for new ownership. It's been a long 5yrs of ownership with up's and down's. Whilst I may of done some things differently (if I were to do it again), I certainly don't regret what I did do.
All that is history now and it is now time to move on...... something different and in many ways, hopefully better!
Anybody that read my original "ScoobyNet Project Car" articles which saw the evolution of a standard Spec C through various stages, will realise that at first I concentrated on the more straight forward, but purposeful modification levels. In many many ways the car was so perfect at (by todays standards) a sedate 370bhp and mild handling mods. The biggest issue is that most of us get all bent out of shape about BHP figures, dyno graphs and sales bull, without realising that you may not actually be faster...... unless you have the most important thing, which is driving ability. Perhaps the key factor that is overlooked by most us!
They do say the older you get the wiser you become. Whilst that may be true, I also think that the more cash you spend and the less you get in return, makes you think "I'm not doing that again!". Whether you are 20 or 60, I dare say the realisation of what your money has returned is learnt regardless! Above all most of us learn from experience...... you don't stick your hand in the fire after you did it the first time and realised you had to visit the hospital! I appreciate there are always exceptions to the rule though!
So what with the latest car then?
It had to be an Impreza (no surprise there then!) and a Newage. In my opinion what better than the last of the saloons.... a Hawkeye. I have ALWAYS loved the styling of the Hawkeye and although it is no major advancement on the previous Blobeye, I think it really does look great. Looks are a personal taste I know, but the looks of the Hawkeye certainly are to my taste.
Apart from revision of model I also had the obvious choice of engine. Namely whether or not it was a 2ltr or a 2.5ltr. I appreciate this may be informing some people how to suck eggs, but not everyone knows why and what. If anyone knows me of old, they will realise I do like to go in to detail on explanation and my articles can be slightly verbose! If it helps one person gain some extra knowledge and is found to be interesting to read... it's all good! Anyway... I love documenting this as much as actually carrying the mods out!
Excuse me as I digress.... back to the car!
So which one then.... 2ltr or 2.5ltr?
Even up to today's current models, the Japanese Domestic Market (JDM) Impreza STI's (or derivatives) are 2ltr. US/EU/UK spec STI's changed to the 2.5ltr set-up as part of the Hawkeye model change in those territories.
As good as the 2.5ltr is as regards to it's driveability (great spool and torque) it really is a bit hit and miss reliability wise. Whereas the 2ltr varieties have a much better reliability record and are great to thrash if you really have that need to with the 8000rpm rev limit available!
JDM's always had an edge over their UK equivalents, specification wise, but certainly since the latter Blobeye models that disparity has certainly been narrowed.
Taking everything in to account it had to be a JDM of the Hawkeye variety.
After deciding what car I wanted I then went about looking for the right one.....
I have known David, who run's API, for a number of years now and on the off chance he let me know he had a JDM Hawkeye that was available. Anyone that has looked for Hawkeye's (especially recently) will realise that the availability of these is thin on the ground to say the least. What with the fact that not many people imported them, together with the fact that to import one now would involve a lot of cash because of the poor YEN exchange rate, makes these cars fairly rare. Suffice to say I was slightly surprised to find a mint and low mileage example on my doorstep (API is only 10 miles away from me).
When I first saw the car I immediately fell in love with it (apart from the boot spoiler, but I will go in to that further on!). What really drew me to the car was the colour. It was in the great (imo) Crystal Gray, which is the same colour as the S204 (special JDM edition based on an enhanced STI). It has a sort of golden 'tinge' to it and looks quite classy. Certainly a world apart from the "in ya face" white of my previous Spec C. Perfectly understated (if you can ever call a STI that) for my new requirements.
The single item that drew my attention and all for the wrong reasons, was the "Carlos Fandango" boot spoiler. It had been fitted with a WRC copy rear wing, which had been the requirement of the initial UK purchaser (long story!). David explained that it would be ditched as he knew I would never be seen dead with that thing on the back of the car!
JDM Hawkeye STI with "Carlos Fandango" Boot Spoiler
Anyway, spoiler aside David threw me the keys and I took it out for a test drive.
It's strange how I suddenly remembered how good the standard Spec C felt engine wise, after only 10 mins of driving this STI. Twin scroll turbos are just great for response and spool. I know the car was over 200bhp less than the Spec C that I drove to API in, but when you realise that from the off and you appreciate the car for what it is, a fantastic A to B blaster, you really do appreciate the finer things in life. Giving the engine and chassis a bit of a "shoeing" down a country road, you soon realise how good the engine is and in reality how quick it is as well. If you can attain license losing speeds with not much effort, you put in to perspective how much power you REALLY do ONLY need for a road car to be quick and fun.
The chassis felt superb and certainly appeared to be better than the Spec C's MY03 chassis. Grip was fantastic and all in all it appeared to hide it's weight very very well. Those RE070's are truly fantastic tyres!
After some research it appears the split on the centre diff is 41:59 bias, which may not be as nice as the 35:65 bias of the earlier models, but for a road car it is fine to be honest and certainly felt OK.
Overall as a road car it was absolutely perfect and exactly what I wanted. Comfort, responsive and most importantly..... it had air conditioning!
Although this would still be a second car I really wanted the creature comforts back again.So... a deal was agreed with API the next day!
Some of you may think "how can you go from a trick Spec C down to a lowly STI... and be happy!?". Fairly easily to be honest!
Whilst the Spec C was/is a great car, it does have it's negatives which are further magnified by the level of tune that the Spec C had moved to. Don't get me wrong, Spec C's are great bits of kit even in standard guise, but the later the Spec C the less it has over the same year JDM STI. When you look at what you want the car for (in my case the majority will be road use) it makes less and less sense to buy something that is costing a premium, for "bit's" that you won't take full advantage of.
Let's compare the MY06 Spec C against the MY06 JDM STI:
Weight
MY06 Spec C = 1390kg
MY06 JDM STI = 1460kg
This is one of the key area's that individuals always hone in on as regards to the "great" benefit of the Spec C. In reality 70kg's is not that great and for 90% of us would not make any difference to our ability behind the wheel, especially in the "real world".
Whilst I understand that reduced weight can benefit handling characteristics, if we just isolate power to weight ratio it makes interesting reading.
MY06 Spec C with a power level of 360bhp (360/1.39) has power to weight of 258.99bhp per ton.
MY06 JDM STI with a power level of 360bhp (360/1.46) has a power to weight of 246.57bhp per ton.
For the MY06 JDM STI to have the same power to weight as the Spec C at 360bhp, the STI would need to have a power figure of circa 378bhp. Not a fat lot of difference there in reality.
So the overall comparison would be around 10stone in weight. The chances are that nearly all passengers would be over 10stone, so as long as the Spec C car had two in it, the JDM STI would have a better power to weight ratio!
Engine and Transmission
Exactly the same engine, gearbox and diffs (although I believe the front diff may be different) between the two models. The only difference being the Spec C has a roller bearing turbo as opposed to a sleeve bearing turbo on the JDM STI. Meant to provide better spool, but I have yet to see any proof of that.
Supension and Brakes
If you are not comparing any special editions of the MY06 Spec C (RA, S204, RA-R) then the suspension and brakes are the same.
Other
Spec C has anti surge fuel pump, transmission coolers, oil cooler, different radiator, rear strut brace, additionally strengthened front suspension turrets and larger turbo intake pipe.
So all in all not a fat lot of difference, with most of the "other" additions available (should you wish) as aftermarket modifications.
On average you would be looking at between £3-£4k difference between a MY06 JDM STI and MY06 Spec C, with the difference being against the Spec C. When you consider all of this I would suggest that the JDM STI is a lot better value, certainly as a road car and no worse off for it in reality.
So what are we going to do then?
I vowed I would never go down the "full hog" approach again BUT I will have to do something to "spice things up" a little!
The current remit is to get the best out of what I have got, with a few
after market tweaks.After recently witnessing John Felstead perform in his virtually standard JDM STI at ScoobySprint (placing within the Top 10 amongst modified and pro entries) and the recent testing day at TOTB, you certainly appreciate just how good these cars can be. Driving ability is a big part of that and something I will carry on with expanding over the next 12 months. Taking this in to account and the fact that the car will be used primarily for road use, any modifications need to be cost effective and at worst provide the same driveability as currently available with the OE car, but hoping to better driveability where possible. That means no £3k suspension set-ups or £15k engine builds.... well, not just yet!
That may initially sound boring, but I will be looking at the latest developments in twin scroll turbo chargers available and how much benefit items like ECUTEK's MEGAROM and EasyECU can provide, along with some other "choice" modifications.
I have no preconceived power goals, but the engine will certainly remain untouched (for the time being) with the emphasis on maintaining all the advantages of the OE drive and under bonnet look. All this without the need to open the bonnet between services and just worry about when I need to fill up with fuel. I also want to investigate such things like map switching with VPower and 95ron maps, whilst still utilising the OE ECU.
I also will not be making any drastic changes in the handling department, because for the remit of road use, with a few track days and sprints thrown in, I suspect it will be unwarranted. The car will even stay on it's OE 17" rims!
That is just a taster of the kinds of area's I want to delve in to and hopefully produce interesting and informative content along the way.
Obviously I will not be able to do any of this on my own, so I am continuing to work with Litchfield Imports, Tracktive Solutions, ECUTEK, API and Keith Michaels Insurance, who's support I am very grateful of.
So without further ado I need to pick the car up first.... that will be the next instalment very soon.
Last edited by Shaun; 12 August 2010 at 08:37 PM.
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13 August 2010, 01:02 PM
#9
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Thanks for the comments!
Paul,
I'm a touch typist mate.... about 10 mins!
Bluenose172,
Yes... EasyECU supports the JDM ECU's!
I would certainly be interested in "learning" more about mapping, even though I understand the base principals. Unfortunately that will not be possible on ECUTEK as I do not have access to the programming software personally. If I had upgraded the ECU to HYDRA (for instance) I am sure that Tracktive Solutions (Richard Bulmer) would spend time with me in this area for mentoring, but at this stage it is all about OE stuff (as much as possible) and I truly believe that ECUTEK will offer me as much functionality as I need (and more). Also this work is about extracting the best results out of the facilities available..... for that I need a expert mapper who I trust to put the time and enthusiasm in. Not some wannabe like me mashing a few buttons!
The potential of packages like ECUTEK's EasyECU, Live Tuning and DeltaDash all provide the end user with great additional functionality that perhaps they were not aware of. This is especially beneficial to someone that is an enthusiast (like me), who does not want to go down the route of completing the mapping excerise themselves (for whatever reason).
I intend to at least discuss these available options as part of this thread, and intend in utilising these options as much as possible myself.
Paul,
I'm a touch typist mate.... about 10 mins!
Bluenose172,
Yes... EasyECU supports the JDM ECU's!
I would certainly be interested in "learning" more about mapping, even though I understand the base principals. Unfortunately that will not be possible on ECUTEK as I do not have access to the programming software personally. If I had upgraded the ECU to HYDRA (for instance) I am sure that Tracktive Solutions (Richard Bulmer) would spend time with me in this area for mentoring, but at this stage it is all about OE stuff (as much as possible) and I truly believe that ECUTEK will offer me as much functionality as I need (and more). Also this work is about extracting the best results out of the facilities available..... for that I need a expert mapper who I trust to put the time and enthusiasm in. Not some wannabe like me mashing a few buttons!
The potential of packages like ECUTEK's EasyECU, Live Tuning and DeltaDash all provide the end user with great additional functionality that perhaps they were not aware of. This is especially beneficial to someone that is an enthusiast (like me), who does not want to go down the route of completing the mapping excerise themselves (for whatever reason).
I intend to at least discuss these available options as part of this thread, and intend in utilising these options as much as possible myself.
13 August 2010, 01:44 PM
#10
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Looking forward to see this project evolve, great write up! I bought avatars arai edition and he said Shaun would be the man to answer spec c questions but it looks like you may have a lot of info on hawkeyes very shortly, I'm very interested to see how you get on with the 95 Ron as I'm in the north of Scotland where it's a pain to find vpower.
13 August 2010, 02:01 PM
#11
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Thread Starter
Hi Mike,
Not sure if I am the "man" regarding Spec C's!
I did have a few conversations with Av though before he bought the Spec C you now own.
You have the right ECU that can take advantage of MEGAROM and all the other goodies available!
With the pending increases in fuel prices and the general state of the economy, I suspect that a potential "economy" map for 95ron fuel (that can be selected at will) may prove advantagous to quite a few people.
Like you, I am interested to see the results of this during the project. In much a similar way it can also give the ability to switch from VPower to normal SUL map, race fuel and fuel mix maps, using a combination of map switching in MEGAROM and EasyECU to re-program. There are a number of uses for this kind of facility.
Not sure if I am the "man" regarding Spec C's!
I did have a few conversations with Av though before he bought the Spec C you now own. You have the right ECU that can take advantage of MEGAROM and all the other goodies available!
With the pending increases in fuel prices and the general state of the economy, I suspect that a potential "economy" map for 95ron fuel (that can be selected at will) may prove advantagous to quite a few people.
Like you, I am interested to see the results of this during the project.
In much a similar way it can also give the ability to switch from VPower to normal SUL map, race fuel and fuel mix maps, using a combination of map switching in MEGAROM and EasyECU to re-program. There are a number of uses for this kind of facility.
13 August 2010, 05:40 PM
#13
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I've used Live Tuning using ECUTek, it didn't suit my needs at all. So EasyECU basically just lets you write a ROM to the ECU, hmm. If you want to map it yourself there are other options on the original ECU, it really is satisfying changing a part on your car then tweaking the map yourself.
13 August 2010, 06:52 PM
#15
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Location: oop north in a spec-c.Now sold and starting on a classic ra track/sprint/road car
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Shaun I will watch this thread with great intrest.....now you are starting to go down that slippery slope......again..............
13 August 2010, 06:57 PM
#16
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Thread Starter
bluenose172,
Yes EasyECU lets you write maps but not edit them. Maps have to be original or maps created by ProECU (which is what your commercial ECUTEK mappers purchase and use). I know there are other methods but they do not have all the options of MegaROM and RaceROM from the EcuTEK family. I also don't have the inclination to map myself yet, but I can fully appreciate the satisfaction of being able to do it yourself.
However what EasyECU will allow me, is to have all the fuel (or whatever) maps I want and be able to upload to the ECU as I require.
EasyECU also includes DeltaDash which is something I want for logging purposes and also for the "Road Dyno" module, to enable me to gauge (apart from using an **** dyno) what effect each modification has. Especially as regards to the in-gear acceleration times etc.
Terminator X,
Yes he does, but Bob's is a 2.5. It will be interesting to see how they both pan out, but I believe that Bob has already gone the "new engine" route. I won't be doing that for at least another week!
The spoiler has gone mate...... it had an OE STI spoiler painted and fitted last week. Give me some credit!!!!
Yes EasyECU lets you write maps but not edit them. Maps have to be original or maps created by ProECU (which is what your commercial ECUTEK mappers purchase and use). I know there are other methods but they do not have all the options of MegaROM and RaceROM from the EcuTEK family. I also don't have the inclination to map myself yet, but I can fully appreciate the satisfaction of being able to do it yourself.
However what EasyECU will allow me, is to have all the fuel (or whatever) maps I want and be able to upload to the ECU as I require.
EasyECU also includes DeltaDash which is something I want for logging purposes and also for the "Road Dyno" module, to enable me to gauge (apart from using an **** dyno) what effect each modification has. Especially as regards to the in-gear acceleration times etc.
Terminator X,
Yes he does, but Bob's is a 2.5. It will be interesting to see how they both pan out, but I believe that Bob has already gone the "new engine" route. I won't be doing that for at least another week!
The spoiler has gone mate...... it had an OE STI spoiler painted and fitted last week. Give me some credit!!!!
13 August 2010, 07:03 PM
#17
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Thread Starter
I don't mind slipping but it's the falling on my **** I don't want! 
I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can do over the next few months. It hope it is...... interesting.
13 August 2010, 08:14 PM
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Fair enough, thought it might have added an extra dimension to the project thread. For logging check out the OP 2.0 tactrix unit, it allows logging straight to SD card, it saves having to connect any cables/laptops etc. There's nothing better than getting home at night and pouring over your logs for the day.................just me? I'll get my coat!
14 August 2010, 06:57 AM
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Done something very similar 3 weeks ago, ditched my03 blob which i threw money at and got myself a uk06 hawk.
Driving something basically standard other than being Ecutek`d by jgm felt quite nice again.
looking forward to seeing what you do with yours.....
Driving something basically standard other than being Ecutek`d by jgm felt quite nice again.
looking forward to seeing what you do with yours.....
14 August 2010, 03:12 PM
#26
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Thanks a lot for the further comments guys!
Time to be spent on a few luxury items
One of the main reasons for buying this car was to return back to the normal world again... one with a few luxurys! The car is being picked up on Monday and the first round of modifications I will be doing will be regarding the in-car audio side of things this coming week.
The Spec C had a nice "funky" Pioneer single DIN head unit that I bought a couple of years back. This was all part of the conversion back to "road trim". It was a bit of a waste to be honest, as the Spec C is not really aligned with providing a good base for sound reproduction. What with all the bare metal in the boot and total lack of sound deadening throughout. I also had some after market front and rear speakers fitted, along with a sub under the seat. This was all done in a bid to try and get something that actually sounded half decent. Unfortunately it was all in vain, which is a pity as I do like my "choons"..... not brain and bass pumping (too old for that now), but something that sounds quality.
We all know that the OE audio equipment in a Subaru is utter pants.... even if you are totally tone deaf!
The Hawkeye still has everything OE, that includes the wafer thin speakers (with magnets that would not attract a drawing pin) and the double DIN head unit that would not go amiss in a museum along side a Gramophone!
To try and elevate the audio in the Hawkeye to something that sounds better than the scratching sound coming from a Stylophone, it will all need to be ripped out.
In preparation for this I decided to remove the current head unit from the Spec C today and ensure I have all the bits ready for this batch of work I need to undertake. This meant I needed to take a trip to Halfords (don't tell anyone!) and bought this little lot:
Wiring Harness
To connect an aftermarket headunit to your wiring loom you will need an appropriate wiring harness. This converts the OE loom plug to a standard called ISO, which all aftermarket headunits adopt for connection purposes. It's a simple plug and play operation (normally). Halfords sell one which is part no. PC2-44-4.
Speakers
From what I know the speaker size requirements for an Impreza (Newage) are 6.5" (17cm) for the front and 5.25" (13cm) for the rear. Whilst it is possible to replace the rear door speakers without the need for a spacer kit, it is virtually impossible to do this for the fronts without the need for a spacer kit.
The spacer kit for the fronts enables you to fit a speaker, whilst not actually bigger in circumference, can be bigger in depth. The reason for this is that (by general rule) the bigger the magnet of the speaker (the deeper it needs to be), the better the sound / base response etc.
Apparently the speaker adapter kit that Halfords sell (SAK-3001-H), which is actually for a Corsa (never thought I would buy something for one of those!), does the job required for the front speakers.
Talking of speakers I will initially try the existing fronts (Alpine I think) I have in the Spec C first. If these are not to my liking I will have to invest in some new ones. I will only be concentrating on the fronts and will most certainly disconnect (or fade out) the rears. This might sound strange but if you are trying to create a realistic "sound stage", the directional sound should only come from the front (mid and vocals). Think of it as if you were at a concert..... the stage is at the front and that is where the sound should come from. For something like a sub it is not important where that is placed (you wouldn't normally have a sub up front but you can), as it is not directional and is a fill-in sound or effect.
Trust me.... if you have a good clear sound at the front, you really don't need rear door speakers and most certainly don't need one of my "pet hates" of crappy 6x9's (or whatever) on the rear parcel shelf. A system will sound much better with the correct sound stage, than it will with loads of speakers everywhere.
As long as the sound is audible, I want it to be clear and have clarity.... that is more important to me than loads of volume.
Sound Deadening/Insulation
One of the single biggest reasons why sound quality was crap in the Spec C was a lot to do with the lack of sound deadening. Anything that is affected by vibration of sound will undoubtedly decrease volume and quality.
If you buy a new car today and one that is built well, the OE audio equipment can sound exceptional. Perfect case to hand is my new shape Mondeo. Whilst it has the top of the shop Sony (still OE) stereo in it, the speakers are standard and the sound quality is amazing compared to what OE stuff was like years ago. It is so good it really is not worth me spending any money on it. The base is deep and the mid to vocals are sharp. A lot of this is to do with the solidness of the car, as much as it is to do with the quality of the audio equipment itself.
To try and improve the acoustics of the Hawkeye I will be adding additional sound deadening. This is quite a popular modification and whilst it does add weight to the car (using dense mass to stop vibration of panels), it can have dramatic improvements on both quality and volume.
If I was going to go ***** out on an install I would line the whole inside of the car with extra sound deadening. Since this is not the case and I just want to do this is a practical way, I will only be sound proofing the doors that the front speakers will be housed in. There should already be a marked improvement over what the Spec C acoustics are like, but this will just make it better still. At £25 a roll (enough for one door) I think it is money well spent.
So.... that's a quick round-up of things I have bought today. Detail will be added on how this goes, later on in the week.
I know it may sound quite sad, but I am really looking forward to all of this! That's even before I get it on any dyno (lol) and start the REAL work!
Time to be spent on a few luxury items
One of the main reasons for buying this car was to return back to the normal world again... one with a few luxurys!
The car is being picked up on Monday and the first round of modifications I will be doing will be regarding the in-car audio side of things this coming week.The Spec C had a nice "funky" Pioneer single DIN head unit that I bought a couple of years back. This was all part of the conversion back to "road trim". It was a bit of a waste to be honest, as the Spec C is not really aligned with providing a good base for sound reproduction. What with all the bare metal in the boot and total lack of sound deadening throughout. I also had some after market front and rear speakers fitted, along with a sub under the seat. This was all done in a bid to try and get something that actually sounded half decent. Unfortunately it was all in vain, which is a pity as I do like my "choons"..... not brain and bass pumping (too old for that now), but something that sounds quality.
We all know that the OE audio equipment in a Subaru is utter pants.... even if you are totally tone deaf!
The Hawkeye still has everything OE, that includes the wafer thin speakers (with magnets that would not attract a drawing pin) and the double DIN head unit that would not go amiss in a museum along side a Gramophone!
To try and elevate the audio in the Hawkeye to something that sounds better than the scratching sound coming from a Stylophone, it will all need to be ripped out.
In preparation for this I decided to remove the current head unit from the Spec C today and ensure I have all the bits ready for this batch of work I need to undertake. This meant I needed to take a trip to Halfords (don't tell anyone!) and bought this little lot:
Wiring Harness
To connect an aftermarket headunit to your wiring loom you will need an appropriate wiring harness. This converts the OE loom plug to a standard called ISO, which all aftermarket headunits adopt for connection purposes. It's a simple plug and play operation (normally). Halfords sell one which is part no. PC2-44-4.
Speakers
From what I know the speaker size requirements for an Impreza (Newage) are 6.5" (17cm) for the front and 5.25" (13cm) for the rear. Whilst it is possible to replace the rear door speakers without the need for a spacer kit, it is virtually impossible to do this for the fronts without the need for a spacer kit.
The spacer kit for the fronts enables you to fit a speaker, whilst not actually bigger in circumference, can be bigger in depth. The reason for this is that (by general rule) the bigger the magnet of the speaker (the deeper it needs to be), the better the sound / base response etc.
Apparently the speaker adapter kit that Halfords sell (SAK-3001-H), which is actually for a Corsa (never thought I would buy something for one of those!), does the job required for the front speakers.
Talking of speakers I will initially try the existing fronts (Alpine I think) I have in the Spec C first. If these are not to my liking I will have to invest in some new ones. I will only be concentrating on the fronts and will most certainly disconnect (or fade out) the rears. This might sound strange but if you are trying to create a realistic "sound stage", the directional sound should only come from the front (mid and vocals). Think of it as if you were at a concert..... the stage is at the front and that is where the sound should come from. For something like a sub it is not important where that is placed (you wouldn't normally have a sub up front but you can), as it is not directional and is a fill-in sound or effect.
Trust me.... if you have a good clear sound at the front, you really don't need rear door speakers and most certainly don't need one of my "pet hates" of crappy 6x9's (or whatever) on the rear parcel shelf. A system will sound much better with the correct sound stage, than it will with loads of speakers everywhere.
As long as the sound is audible, I want it to be clear and have clarity.... that is more important to me than loads of volume.
Sound Deadening/Insulation
One of the single biggest reasons why sound quality was crap in the Spec C was a lot to do with the lack of sound deadening. Anything that is affected by vibration of sound will undoubtedly decrease volume and quality.
If you buy a new car today and one that is built well, the OE audio equipment can sound exceptional. Perfect case to hand is my new shape Mondeo. Whilst it has the top of the shop Sony (still OE) stereo in it, the speakers are standard and the sound quality is amazing compared to what OE stuff was like years ago. It is so good it really is not worth me spending any money on it. The base is deep and the mid to vocals are sharp. A lot of this is to do with the solidness of the car, as much as it is to do with the quality of the audio equipment itself.
To try and improve the acoustics of the Hawkeye I will be adding additional sound deadening. This is quite a popular modification and whilst it does add weight to the car (using dense mass to stop vibration of panels), it can have dramatic improvements on both quality and volume.
If I was going to go ***** out on an install I would line the whole inside of the car with extra sound deadening. Since this is not the case and I just want to do this is a practical way, I will only be sound proofing the doors that the front speakers will be housed in. There should already be a marked improvement over what the Spec C acoustics are like, but this will just make it better still. At £25 a roll (enough for one door) I think it is money well spent.
So.... that's a quick round-up of things I have bought today. Detail will be added on how this goes, later on in the week.
I know it may sound quite sad, but I am really looking forward to all of this!
That's even before I get it on any dyno (lol) and start the REAL work!
16 August 2010, 10:52 PM
#27
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
The Hawkeye has landed!
Today was the day to do the "deal". Unfortunately that meant that I had to say "goodbye" to the Spec C. Without sounding a bit, well you know, it was a sad day in many ways, but it was out with the old and in with the new!
I loaded the Spec C up with all my valeting gear and shot off to API. Unfortunately API are only 10 miles away from me. I say unfortunately, as this was going to be my last ride in the Spec C and for once I would of preferred to the journey to be slightly longer!
Anyway... enough of that!
I arrived at API and pulled all my valeting gear out of the Spec C. David did ask why on earth I felt the need to valet the car, as he was going to do this as part of the process of me buying a car from him. I suspect I am a bit sad in that way and it seemed like a good idea at the time. It certainly was not a good idea later on in the day at about 13:00, as I was sweating my backside off, with only half the car done! Oh well!!
Here are some shots of the car prior to me "attacking" it. Although fairly hard to see in the images, the paintwork needed some drastic attention, but nothing a good valet would not sort. It was the usual stuff like lime, sap, rain, tar and normal dirt. It really did need some TLC to being it back to the glory of this great colour.
First step was to give the car a good wash. I used the "two bucket" method to ensure what I was taking off, would not end up back on the car again. Carplan car shampoo was used.
After the car was initially cleaned it looked a whole lot better, but as part of the process you tend to look at the paint more closely and it really needed some further treatment. Prior to anything else though I dried the car off using a microfibre cloth.
With the car now dried I started the REAL hard work!
The next step was to clay the paintwork. This is a process of getting all (if not nearly all) the contaminants out of the paintwork. It's amazing how much crap is in the paintwork that you don't really know about until you clay the paint.
Now the paintwork was really looking a lot better and I was happy to start the next process of waxing the car. For this I used Auto Glym's Super Resin Polish.
I must admit I do find the claying and waxing process a right ball ache. Whether or not it is because I am a tall chap and bending down really does not go well with me (my back is killing me now), or whether it is because I am a lazy git when it comes to manual labour! Regardless of this the car really did look good afterwards, which I hope can be seen from these images.
The following two images are slightly over exposed.
After I had completed the outside I then set about the interior. To be honest it did not really need much as the car has only done 8k miles. The interior still smells new!
So that was it! Car cleaned, deal done and keys exchanged!
I must say a big thanks to David and API. The experience of buying a car from API has been a very good one, with constant communication about all the paperwork with the DVLA and also for David fulfilling all my requests without question. Buying a car can be a harrowing experience at times..... this was an absolute joy, even if I should of listened to David and had API valet the car for me!
Just after lunch I must confess that I took the Spec C back out for a final "spank". David did say when I handed the keys over "That's the end of an era Shaun!". Absolutely true and on whole it has been a good one, if rather "emotional" at times. Anyway, I'm sure the car will carry on being something "special" whoever get's to own it next!
Now that I have the car and the cleaning has been completed, I will be off to Litchfield's tomorrow to talk about some "stuff" and also use his workshop to install my audio system.
Today was the day to do the "deal". Unfortunately that meant that I had to say "goodbye" to the Spec C. Without sounding a bit, well you know, it was a sad day in many ways, but it was out with the old and in with the new!
I loaded the Spec C up with all my valeting gear and shot off to API. Unfortunately API are only 10 miles away from me. I say unfortunately, as this was going to be my last ride in the Spec C and for once I would of preferred to the journey to be slightly longer!
Anyway... enough of that!
I arrived at API and pulled all my valeting gear out of the Spec C. David did ask why on earth I felt the need to valet the car, as he was going to do this as part of the process of me buying a car from him. I suspect I am a bit sad in that way and it seemed like a good idea at the time. It certainly was not a good idea later on in the day at about 13:00, as I was sweating my backside off, with only half the car done! Oh well!!
Here are some shots of the car prior to me "attacking" it. Although fairly hard to see in the images, the paintwork needed some drastic attention, but nothing a good valet would not sort. It was the usual stuff like lime, sap, rain, tar and normal dirt. It really did need some TLC to being it back to the glory of this great colour.
First step was to give the car a good wash. I used the "two bucket" method to ensure what I was taking off, would not end up back on the car again. Carplan car shampoo was used.
After the car was initially cleaned it looked a whole lot better, but as part of the process you tend to look at the paint more closely and it really needed some further treatment. Prior to anything else though I dried the car off using a microfibre cloth.
With the car now dried I started the REAL hard work!
The next step was to clay the paintwork. This is a process of getting all (if not nearly all) the contaminants out of the paintwork. It's amazing how much crap is in the paintwork that you don't really know about until you clay the paint.
Now the paintwork was really looking a lot better and I was happy to start the next process of waxing the car. For this I used Auto Glym's Super Resin Polish.
I must admit I do find the claying and waxing process a right ball ache. Whether or not it is because I am a tall chap and bending down really does not go well with me (my back is killing me now), or whether it is because I am a lazy git when it comes to manual labour!
Regardless of this the car really did look good afterwards, which I hope can be seen from these images.The following two images are slightly over exposed.
After I had completed the outside I then set about the interior. To be honest it did not really need much as the car has only done 8k miles. The interior still smells new!
So that was it! Car cleaned, deal done and keys exchanged!
I must say a big thanks to David and API. The experience of buying a car from API has been a very good one, with constant communication about all the paperwork with the DVLA and also for David fulfilling all my requests without question. Buying a car can be a harrowing experience at times..... this was an absolute joy, even if I should of listened to David and had API valet the car for me!
Just after lunch I must confess that I took the Spec C back out for a final "spank".
David did say when I handed the keys over "That's the end of an era Shaun!". Absolutely true and on whole it has been a good one, if rather "emotional" at times. Anyway, I'm sure the car will carry on being something "special" whoever get's to own it next!Now that I have the car and the cleaning has been completed, I will be off to Litchfield's tomorrow to talk about some "stuff"
and also use his workshop to install my audio system.
17 August 2010, 09:43 AM
#29
Former Sponsor
iTrader: (4)
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: @Junc 12, M40 Warwicksh; 01926 614522 CV33 9PL -Use 9GX for Satnav. South Mids Alcatek ECu dealer
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Thanks Shaun, enjoy the standard 2.0 Hawkeye STi while it lasts. I suspect it will become something else quite soon. On the polish job, I think I see a bit you missed........
David
Another landmark, this is my 5000 th post, do I get an award or summat ??
David
Another landmark, this is my 5000 th post, do I get an award or summat ??
