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Ahh right. Cheers mate. It doesn’t fill me with confidence when the seller doesn’t know what he is selling.
They are also known as 16” spec c I believe. They have the wrx callipers to go under the 16” wheels. It says immaculate but it doesn’t look it to me. I’d also be asking what kind of life it’s had if it needed a respray after 36k miles. I’d guess this has been a track car and probably had a hard life. 36k miles on the track is very different to 36k of summer weekend driving!
They are also known as 16” spec c I believe. They have the wrx callipers to go under the 16” wheels. It says immaculate but it doesn’t look it to me. I’d also be asking what kind of life it’s had if it needed a respray after 36k miles. I’d guess this has been a track car and probably had a hard life. 36k miles on the track is very different to 36k of summer weekend driving!
spot on mate 👍👍 I will persevere with my blob for now
I would have gone for it myself but I really wanted a white one. This one has coilovers rather than the pink adjustables which would be a good haggling point. The pink suspension is available still but it’ll set you back £3k! Depends on if you want a standard one or you intend to modify I guess. HJA are generally known for their high quality cars though (which is reflected in their prices!)
For a weekend car mate I really cannot justify the price to my missus and son lol....the stark reality is unless I come into doe my blob widetrack will have to do
For a weekend car mate I really cannot justify the price to my missus and son lol....the stark reality is unless I come into doe my blob widetrack will have to do
I get it mate, they’re not cheap! To be fair though, you’ve already got a pretty sweet scooby there! 😁
@adam.pah beat me to it. Thats a Spec C TARMAC edition. They were essentially sold for motorsports, it was a Spec C shell, engine, gearbox, fuel pump etc. They didn't have the STI brakes or interior because those bits are the things motorsports teams would change depending on the class etc. Different brakes, wheels, bucket seats to fit the roll cage etc. Over simplification but you get the idea
In all honesty its probably cheaper to swap the engine gearbox into another shell especially a WRX. Thats not a diss in any way because you are changing most of the STI bits any way.
Keep your car though no pint selling it to get that version. You won't be gaining anything really when you could mod yours for less and end up with more.
The registration finally came through!
It took over 11 weeks for anyone else who is going to be importing a car any time soon.
Unfortunately they forgot to fill in the make and model.....
That’s unlucky. Just had the reg docs back for one from being submitted only 5 weeks ago. Not too shabby for being over the Xmas period.
Wow. That’s impressive given that they closed for 2 weeks over Xmas! Faster than the usual service, lol! I’ll need to send the log book back to get it changed because you can’t do it online for some reason. Most important thing is that we can now put the plates on and get the last bits done (geo and mapping). 😁
Quick question dude. On the back you have the original license plate holder. When these cars were being imported and I'm including the classic in that most had them removed due to them not passing checks, sharp edges etc. But now from what I understand you're allowed to have them. So my question is are you keeping it and if you are then are you going UK spec number plate or keeping with the import size.
Quick question dude. On the back you have the original license plate holder. When these cars were being imported and I'm including the classic in that most had them removed due to them not passing checks, sharp edges etc. But now from what I understand you're allowed to have them. So my question is are you keeping it and if you are then are you going UK spec number plate or keeping with the import size.
pictures will come shortly I promise. My understanding is that it will have JDM style plates with the original holder.
pictures will come shortly I promise. My understanding is that it will have JDM style plates with the original holder.
They made a right mess of mine when it was imported so looking to fix it. Had a quick look at plate sizes but can't work out what the correct size is supposed to be for JDM cars.
@NOSSY_89 I’ll measure it and pm you once I’ve collected. Here’s a picture in the meantime....
Thanks mate, its good they have stopped messing with the brackets now. I think the plates should be the same size but I'll measure the space at the top of the bumper. The legislation is changing on plates again
So I finally collected the car this Sunday gone!! It's been a long wait and I'm glad to have it on the drive now. I completed the 3 hour drive back from Bristol but apart from that I haven't really been able to get out in it yet (a couple of short trips to the supermarket only).
First impressions:
The driving experience is unlike any of my previous Impreza's. I would suggest that this is as close as you can get to feeling like you're in a proper rally car. With the significantly reduced noise insulation and the additional of solid gearbox and dif mounts, I can hear the whining from the mechanicals underneath me; it sounds awesome and is reminiscent of a PPG box! The car feels very light and agile and the handling is phenomenal for what is very close to an OEM car. The ride is a little stiff but we do have the suspension on the firmest setting at the moment so I can dial it down if I want to (I'm happy at the moment though). Power comes in very early with the turbo starting to spool at 2k rpm and it has great mid range. The turbo does seem to run out of puff a bit in the higher rev range but then that may be because I'm used to a much larger turbo. The power band being so early means that it is always very eager to get going which ends up turning me in to a bit of a hooligan! It is a fantastic road car and I can't wait to put it through it's paces along the B roads on a Sunday morning blast. It also sounds immense, even without the scooby 'rumble'!
How does it compare to the black one?
Well obviously there is a considerable power difference between the 2 cars, what surprised me most was how noticeable the weight difference is. The black car is like a sledge hammer, it's heavy and brutal; it often feels like it's trying to kill me even when I'm not pushing it very hard. On the other hand, the RA feels much lighter with pin sharp turn in and balance. On a twisty back road I feel like the RA might actually have the edge but on a fast track or drag strip, the black one would claw it back.
I'm sure there'll be plenty more pictures to come as the weather improves.
Excuse my dodgy driveway! I'm in the process of planning a new one with a garage. This is just temporary.
So I finally collected the car this Sunday gone!! It's been a long wait and I'm glad to have it on the drive now. I completed the 3 hour drive back from Bristol but apart from that I haven't really been able to get out in it yet (a couple of short trips to the supermarket only).
First impressions:
The driving experience is unlike any of my previous Impreza's. I would suggest that this is as close as you can get to feeling like you're in a proper rally car. With the significantly reduced noise insulation and the additional of solid gearbox and dif mounts, I can hear the whining from the mechanicals underneath me; it sounds awesome and is reminiscent of a PPG box! The car feels very light and agile and the handling is phenomenal for what is very close to an OEM car. The ride is a little stiff but we do have the suspension on the firmest setting at the moment so I can dial it down if I want to (I'm happy at the moment though). Power comes in very early with the turbo starting to spool at 2k rpm and it has great mid range. The turbo does seem to run out of puff a bit in the higher rev range but then that may be because I'm used to a much larger turbo. The power band being so early means that it is always very eager to get going which ends up turning me in to a bit of a hooligan! It is a fantastic road car and I can't wait to put it through it's paces along the B roads on a Sunday morning blast. It also sounds immense, even without the scooby 'rumble'!
How does it compare to the black one?
Well obviously there is a considerable power difference between the 2 cars, what surprised me most was how noticeable the weight difference is. The black car is like a sledge hammer, it's heavy and brutal; it often feels like it's trying to kill me even when I'm not pushing it very hard. On the other hand, the RA feels much lighter with pin sharp turn in and balance. On a twisty back road I feel like the RA might actually have the edge but on a fast track or drag strip, the black one would claw it back.
I'm sure there'll be plenty more pictures to come as the weather improves.
Excuse my dodgy driveway! I'm in the process of planning a new one with a garage. This is just temporary.
great news mate and a fab write up regarding the comparison. The car looks a beauty ❤️ Hopefully once we kick covids **** we could ALL meet up for abit of trackday action 🥇🥈🥉
great news mate and a fab write up regarding the comparison. The car looks a beauty ❤️ Hopefully once we kick covids **** we could ALL meet up for abit of trackday action 🥇🥈🥉
Thanks mate. I'd definitely be up for a little track day action! I do have a day booked at Snetterton in early March but I'm guessing that will get postponed. I'd be happy to organise a Snet trackday once the situation is a little more stable. There was some talk of it a while back on here actually....
Thanks John. And thanks again for sending me through the website files. I translated them, printed them off and added them to the file.
Out of interest, what are you driving nowadays?
Thanks John. And thanks again for sending me through the website files. I translated them, printed them off and added them to the file.
Out of interest, what are you driving nowadays?
Pleasure Adam.
Same car I've had for 12 years now, Widetrack Blob JDM STi
Love them or hate them, mud flaps do serve a purpose. Being able to hear every tiny little stone that hits the underside of the car made me feel like I should try to add some protection to the paintwork, so I purchased a set for the RA.
I didn't want anything that upset the lines of that and I am trying to stick with an OEM theme, so I plumped for these mini mud flaps from a well known retailer. It say on the website that installation should take 30-40 minutes, it took me an hour and a half (would be a bit quicker if I did it again though). I managed to fit them without removing the wheels but did need to jack the car up to fit the rears as there was not enough space to get my arm in there otherwise. Fitting was simple enough and there's no need to create new holes, other than to pilot a single self taper on the inside of each. I created a pilot hole with a hand spike, if you wanted to drill one then you'd need to take the wheel off.
I like the look although I'm not sure how much actual protection they will provide. Time will tell how long the STi decals will last too, I followed the instructions and washed the flaps with warm soapy water beforehand but when I removed the backing a couple of them didn't seem to have stuck very well. I'm also considering spraying the bolts and washers black as I think they stand out too much....
Mapping day tomorrow! Can't wait to finally see what this car is really capable of!
Preparation. The provided instruction are basic. Before Before... When the wheel is at full lock the bolts do stand out. Should I black?? After...
I fitted a set 100K miles ago, they are just about ready for a refresh now.
They are well worth fitting, saves the paint from a lot of damage.
I didn't use the stickers, they look a bit pony IMHO.
My car being black helps them blend in, but i would fit them on any colour anyway for the protection they offer.
Last edited by johnfelstead; 15 February 2021 at 08:58 PM.
So the car was mapped last week and I've had a chance to do a couple of slightly longer drives in it now. I can honestly say that this is one of the best, if not the best, driving cars I have ever owned. It puts a smile on my face every time I'm in it.
The only factory standard car that comes close to the driving experience was an E36 M3 I owned 20 years ago, although that was far more refined.
It is an absolute beast on just about any road, the reduction in weight over the standard STi makes a huge difference in the way it goes, stops and handles.
I'm definitely happy with it and looking forward to the warmer weather and the end of lockdown.
Next up: Fix the black one!
08 January 2021, 06:42 PM
It is a fantastic road car and I can't wait to put it through it's paces along the B roads on a Sunday morning blast. It also sounds immense, even without the scooby 'rumble'!
