Starting again.... with a Hawkeye
17 August 2010, 09:28 PM
#33
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Beef,
Not when he has "T-Cut" in his hands!
David,
That must be the bit YOU lent on then, dribbling your ice cream everywhere!
Mervil,
Thank you.... this car will be just as good, if for different reasons!
Lord Bass,
Cliff,
Those flaming injectors I flogged you have just cost me an EXTRA £150 to replace on top of what I sold them to you for!
What a plank! 
Not when he has "T-Cut" in his hands!
David,
That must be the bit YOU lent on then, dribbling your ice cream everywhere!
Mervil,
Thank you.... this car will be just as good, if for different reasons!
Lord Bass,
Cliff,
Those flaming injectors I flogged you have just cost me an EXTRA £150 to replace on top of what I sold them to you for!
What a plank!
17 August 2010, 09:49 PM
#35
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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! 
17 August 2010, 11:25 PM
#36
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
So today I was up at Litchfield Imports..... firstly to discuss some "stuff" (more news on this over the next month when the REAL mods start!), secondly to take their Type20 development car out for a blast and get first hand experience of a brand new line of turbos that are being developed 
, and last but by no means least to upgrade the audio in the Hawkeye.
Spending a bit more time in the JDM Hawkeye I have really appreciated the differences between that and the Spec C now. Power aside the ride quality, noise levels and road driveability are second to none (compared to the Spec C). I REALLY have made the right move with this car.
It has to be said for what I want out of the car now, I would not go back to a Spec C. Whatever power it is currently kicking out (330-340bhp?) it is certainly fast enough for a road car. If you don't think it is enough power, let me take you down a country lane and you tell me when your pants fill! The car is absolutely outstanding imo and remember it is total stock handling wise!
Anyway back to the Litchfield Imports visit....
Iain granted me access to the Litchfield Imports workshop today so I could strip the car in the comfort of being dry! Working at home is great when you can guarantee the weather.... unfortunately this week that is a bit hit and miss.
Down to the audio
As I explained previously the OE audio equipment is pretty gash to say the least. How on earth Subaru still supply their top Impreza's with such low grade audio equipment is totally beyond me, and that of most Impreza owners I suspect.
A headunit change can be an easy affair and straight forward, but for this install I was going to go a tad further.
First off was to remove the centre console facia. Thanks to Iain for pointing me in the right direction as it is different to a Blobeye removal. It's always good to know which areas to "tug" on, as the last thing you want to do is to start breaking clips and lugs!
You start off by pulling the gearstick gator facia off, which comes off very easily. This then shows two screws at the bottom of the centre console main facia (heater controls and stereo surround). There are two locating lugs at the top (see picture below). Using a trim tool or a small flat head screw driver with insulation tape around the end (which is what I used to protect the plastics), you can carefully prise the main facia off. You are then left with 6 screws which hold the double din carrier to the centre console.
(apologies for the image quality as I left my camera at home and had to use my iPhone)
I'm not sure whether to smash this OE stereo to bits or to send it to the local museum!
With the double din cradle and main facia removed, you then have a nice void to fill!
The next thing I did was to remove the old stereo from the double din cradle and attach the new stereo within the cradle. I then needed to make sure the wiring harness adapter worked, along with the stereo when connected up.
Firing up the new stereo, the increased sound quality (even with the OE speakers in) was clearly evident. Obviously this was down to the better quality amplifer within the new headunit, and whilst it was certainly a lot better than before it still needed more work to be how I wanted.
Since I was putting back a single din unit I would have a hole where the other single din space was (cradle is double din). This is not a great problem as you can buy single din trays, like the one you see below. This was inserted above the stereo in the carrier, which also provides an extra "cubby hole" for storage.
As I was modifying the front doors with better than "standard fried egg" speakers and also increasing the sound proofing, I needed to take the door cards off. This can be quite un-nerving as you have to pull quite hard on the door card to "snap off" from the locating lugs. First off you need to remove the switch gear and door opener surround.
Once you have taken the switch gear and opener surround, you should try to get some leverage at the bottom right corner (drivers side) of the door card and give it a good pull. You will hear several pops as the locating lugs break free. Once all the lugs are off you need to slide the door card out and up. You are then presented with the bare door frame and a weak excuse for a speaker!!
Once I had unscrewed and disconnected the OE speaker, I compared it against the Alpine unit I was going to put in. The after market unit looks slightly beefier from this angle, but also has a separate tweeter in the middle. This is called a coaxil speaker.
This picture below you can clearly see the real difference between the two speakers. The depth and size of the magnet on the after market one is a clear giveaway. This is the reason why we need spacers for the new speaker.
If you try and attach a deeper speaker unit in the door it won't even go all the way in, and the distance it does go in will foul the window. To get around this you will need a speaker spacer. As already stated I bought this from Halfords, which was a kit for a Corsa. I tested the fitment of the spacer, speaker, door card and window to make sure every worked before I progressed.
Happy of the speaker fit I started the next job.... adding sound proofing to the door.
I have already explained the reasoning behind doing this and the job is fairly easy, if a little time consuming. First off you need to remove the OE plastic film from the door and remove all the wiring harness lugs. Don't EVER try and just attach the sound deadening to the plastic film. You will waste your money and get zero benefit. The sound deadening must be stuck to the metal inner door skin. You could go mental and totally strip the door and cover the whole lot, but I decided to cover about 80% instead. The sound deadening is glued on one side, so you peel off the plastic protective covering and ensure the surface is clean to stick to. Make sure you press it against all the undulations in the surface to get a tight skin.
I then followed the same procedure for the passenger door and then refitted everything back together.
Finally I double checked everything was working and secured the headunit, iPod dock and bluetooth headunit handsfree kit.
After 7 hours the job was completed!
Firing up the headunit and ensuring everything was set correctly, the sound quality and clarity was so much better than the OE stuff. It is well worth spending the time to do something similar to your car if you like your music. It is not a hard job imo, but it can take a fair amount of time to do it right.
Many thanks to Litchfield Imports for providing me space in their busy workshop. You get oblivious to a couple of GTR's and several Scoobs for work arriving, whilst you are busy getting your own car sorted!
This will certainly not be the last time I will be "reporting" from Litchfield Imports over the coming weeks.
So... the car is pretty much how I want it now for the luxury additions. The next stage of events will be taking deliver of EasyECU from ECUTEK. This will hopefully be with me this week. I will complete a write-up (which will be on-going as I will be referring back to this throughout the engine mods) of that software as I will be using that initially to see where I am with the car in it's current state of tune, via logging and utilising Road Dyno. Once I have baseline data to go on I will be looking to expedite the main "event", power related mods!!
, and last but by no means least to upgrade the audio in the Hawkeye.Spending a bit more time in the JDM Hawkeye I have really appreciated the differences between that and the Spec C now. Power aside the ride quality, noise levels and road driveability are second to none (compared to the Spec C). I REALLY have made the right move with this car.
It has to be said for what I want out of the car now, I would not go back to a Spec C. Whatever power it is currently kicking out (330-340bhp?) it is certainly fast enough for a road car. If you don't think it is enough power, let me take you down a country lane and you tell me when your pants fill!
The car is absolutely outstanding imo and remember it is total stock handling wise! Anyway back to the Litchfield Imports visit....
Iain granted me access to the Litchfield Imports workshop today so I could strip the car in the comfort of being dry!
Working at home is great when you can guarantee the weather.... unfortunately this week that is a bit hit and miss. Down to the audio
As I explained previously the OE audio equipment is pretty gash to say the least. How on earth Subaru still supply their top Impreza's with such low grade audio equipment is totally beyond me, and that of most Impreza owners I suspect.
A headunit change can be an easy affair and straight forward, but for this install I was going to go a tad further.
First off was to remove the centre console facia. Thanks to Iain for pointing me in the right direction as it is different to a Blobeye removal. It's always good to know which areas to "tug" on, as the last thing you want to do is to start breaking clips and lugs!
You start off by pulling the gearstick gator facia off, which comes off very easily. This then shows two screws at the bottom of the centre console main facia (heater controls and stereo surround). There are two locating lugs at the top (see picture below). Using a trim tool or a small flat head screw driver with insulation tape around the end (which is what I used to protect the plastics), you can carefully prise the main facia off. You are then left with 6 screws which hold the double din carrier to the centre console.
(apologies for the image quality as I left my camera at home and had to use my iPhone)
I'm not sure whether to smash this OE stereo to bits or to send it to the local museum!
With the double din cradle and main facia removed, you then have a nice void to fill!
The next thing I did was to remove the old stereo from the double din cradle and attach the new stereo within the cradle. I then needed to make sure the wiring harness adapter worked, along with the stereo when connected up.
Firing up the new stereo, the increased sound quality (even with the OE speakers in) was clearly evident. Obviously this was down to the better quality amplifer within the new headunit, and whilst it was certainly a lot better than before it still needed more work to be how I wanted.
Since I was putting back a single din unit I would have a hole where the other single din space was (cradle is double din). This is not a great problem as you can buy single din trays, like the one you see below. This was inserted above the stereo in the carrier, which also provides an extra "cubby hole" for storage.
As I was modifying the front doors with better than "standard fried egg" speakers and also increasing the sound proofing, I needed to take the door cards off. This can be quite un-nerving as you have to pull quite hard on the door card to "snap off" from the locating lugs. First off you need to remove the switch gear and door opener surround.
Once you have taken the switch gear and opener surround, you should try to get some leverage at the bottom right corner (drivers side) of the door card and give it a good pull. You will hear several pops as the locating lugs break free. Once all the lugs are off you need to slide the door card out and up. You are then presented with the bare door frame and a weak excuse for a speaker!!
Once I had unscrewed and disconnected the OE speaker, I compared it against the Alpine unit I was going to put in. The after market unit looks slightly beefier from this angle, but also has a separate tweeter in the middle. This is called a coaxil speaker.
This picture below you can clearly see the real difference between the two speakers. The depth and size of the magnet on the after market one is a clear giveaway. This is the reason why we need spacers for the new speaker.
If you try and attach a deeper speaker unit in the door it won't even go all the way in, and the distance it does go in will foul the window. To get around this you will need a speaker spacer. As already stated I bought this from Halfords, which was a kit for a Corsa. I tested the fitment of the spacer, speaker, door card and window to make sure every worked before I progressed.
Happy of the speaker fit I started the next job.... adding sound proofing to the door.
I have already explained the reasoning behind doing this and the job is fairly easy, if a little time consuming. First off you need to remove the OE plastic film from the door and remove all the wiring harness lugs. Don't EVER try and just attach the sound deadening to the plastic film. You will waste your money and get zero benefit. The sound deadening must be stuck to the metal inner door skin. You could go mental and totally strip the door and cover the whole lot, but I decided to cover about 80% instead. The sound deadening is glued on one side, so you peel off the plastic protective covering and ensure the surface is clean to stick to. Make sure you press it against all the undulations in the surface to get a tight skin.
I then followed the same procedure for the passenger door and then refitted everything back together.
Finally I double checked everything was working and secured the headunit, iPod dock and bluetooth headunit handsfree kit.
After 7 hours the job was completed!
Firing up the headunit and ensuring everything was set correctly, the sound quality and clarity was so much better than the OE stuff. It is well worth spending the time to do something similar to your car if you like your music. It is not a hard job imo, but it can take a fair amount of time to do it right.
Many thanks to Litchfield Imports for providing me space in their busy workshop. You get oblivious to a couple of GTR's and several Scoobs for work arriving, whilst you are busy getting your own car sorted!
This will certainly not be the last time I will be "reporting" from Litchfield Imports over the coming weeks.
So... the car is pretty much how I want it now for the luxury additions. The next stage of events will be taking deliver of EasyECU from ECUTEK. This will hopefully be with me this week. I will complete a write-up (which will be on-going as I will be referring back to this throughout the engine mods) of that software as I will be using that initially to see where I am with the car in it's current state of tune, via logging and utilising Road Dyno. Once I have baseline data to go on I will be looking to expedite the main "event", power related mods!!
17 August 2010, 11:36 PM
#37
Shaun,
Another great thread, you certainly have a knack for explaining yourself well, I will follow this with interest. I find it interesting that someone like yourself who has had a 600bhp car states that the 370bhp (ish) mark is better for a day to day car. I have heard the same thing said on many occasions from people who know what there talking about (RB at Tractive) but if like me you havent had huge power its hard to believe!!
I have an 06 Spec C which was mapped by RB, when I first went to see him he stated that he personally rates the twin scroll LM400 by Turbo Dynamics because it has all of the good characteristics of the standard turbo but with much more umph!!
After he mapped my car with the LM420 he smiled and said "he really does like mine a lot, although it is only rated at 20bhp more, the lag is only a little worse but the punch is so much more aggressive than the LM400 it is worth it" may be worth considering the LM series turbo?
Good luck with the car
Lee.
Another great thread, you certainly have a knack for explaining yourself well, I will follow this with interest. I find it interesting that someone like yourself who has had a 600bhp car states that the 370bhp (ish) mark is better for a day to day car. I have heard the same thing said on many occasions from people who know what there talking about (RB at Tractive) but if like me you havent had huge power its hard to believe!!
I have an 06 Spec C which was mapped by RB, when I first went to see him he stated that he personally rates the twin scroll LM400 by Turbo Dynamics because it has all of the good characteristics of the standard turbo but with much more umph!!
After he mapped my car with the LM420 he smiled and said "he really does like mine a lot, although it is only rated at 20bhp more, the lag is only a little worse but the punch is so much more aggressive than the LM400 it is worth it" may be worth considering the LM series turbo?
Good luck with the car
Lee.
17 August 2010, 11:41 PM
#38
Interior trim fit is the same as the MY05 Blobeye Shaun.
It was 6th and 8th overall at Scoobysprint. I did 45 timed runs the weekend of the MLR Teeside Sprint and TOTB, took my tyres to the canvas, which was fun.
It was 6th and 8th overall at Scoobysprint. I did 45 timed runs the weekend of the MLR Teeside Sprint and TOTB, took my tyres to the canvas, which was fun.
18 August 2010, 12:12 AM
#39
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Lee,
Thanks for your kind comments.
The truth is you don't need anywhere near the power I had with the Spec C, to have a quick, well set-up and fun road car. Anyone that says you do either can't drive (that's me then), measures everything in straight line variables, does not know what they are on about (me again!) or lays greater importance on dyno figures (jeese... this is getting embarressing). You tend to sacrifice some elements of driveability the further you push the power, so it is always a trade off. Personally I rate the 2ltr as a very good unit to use as a base. It is totally different then a 2.5 as you need to rev it.... but I was used to that with the previous standard Spec C and I liked it.
For someone that has spent literally 10's of thousands of pounds on modifying, you tend to realise what really counts for the remit you have and what really is good, especially based on return per £. The biggest thing for me though was that I didn't want everything that went with running over 500+...... it aint a road car (fit and forget) no more at this level.
Tracktive Solutions will certainly be getting their hands on the Hawkeye very shortly, and I will be trying a couple of turbos from Litchfield Imports as part of this project.
I am looking forward to testing a few items over the coming months.
John,
I'm fully converted to the "old man" approach.... well sort of!
Nah... the trim fit was better than the MY03 mate!
I won't be taking the RE's to the canvas they are like rocking horse **** to buy, although I do have a secret supplier for a couple of sets of nearly new ones! It will have to be another set of rims and tyres for the track!
Thanks for your kind comments.
The truth is you don't need anywhere near the power I had with the Spec C, to have a quick, well set-up and fun road car. Anyone that says you do either can't drive (that's me then), measures everything in straight line variables, does not know what they are on about (me again!) or lays greater importance on dyno figures (jeese... this is getting embarressing). You tend to sacrifice some elements of driveability the further you push the power, so it is always a trade off. Personally I rate the 2ltr as a very good unit to use as a base. It is totally different then a 2.5 as you need to rev it.... but I was used to that with the previous standard Spec C and I liked it.
For someone that has spent literally 10's of thousands of pounds on modifying, you tend to realise what really counts for the remit you have and what really is good, especially based on return per £. The biggest thing for me though was that I didn't want everything that went with running over 500+...... it aint a road car (fit and forget) no more at this level.
Tracktive Solutions will certainly be getting their hands on the Hawkeye very shortly, and I will be trying a couple of turbos from Litchfield Imports as part of this project.
I am looking forward to testing a few items over the coming months.
John,
I'm fully converted to the "old man" approach.... well sort of!
Nah... the trim fit was better than the MY03 mate!
I won't be taking the RE's to the canvas they are like rocking horse **** to buy, although I do have a secret supplier for a couple of sets of nearly new ones! It will have to be another set of rims and tyres for the track!
18 August 2010, 12:19 AM
#40
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Shaun - I think you need to change your ' location' on your profile thingy to reflect the new found pipe and slippers car.....
David
David
18 August 2010, 12:19 AM
#41
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Location: @Junc 12, M40 Warwicksh; 01926 614522 CV33 9PL -Use 9GX for Satnav. South Mids Alcatek ECu dealer
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Shaun - I think you need to change your ' location' on your profile thingy to reflect the new found pipe and slippers car.....
David
David
18 August 2010, 12:23 AM
#42
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
David,
Talking of "pipe and slippers"..... did you put the Spec C in to High Boost on Monday? The fastest OAP in Harbury!!
Talking of "pipe and slippers"..... did you put the Spec C in to High Boost on Monday?
The fastest OAP in Harbury!!
18 August 2010, 12:40 AM
#43
I'm up to 4 sets of wheels now Shaun, i bought one set of rims for £50 and had them powder coated satin black, I used them for my track tyres (worn freeby D01J's i killed at TOTB), just had those now fitted with a virtually new set of RE-070's i bought on Toshi Aria wheels for £200, for the mean black look for a while.
I still have my original Gold wheels with RE-070's fitted i'm saving as a mint set, i'll use the third set to fit some worn R888's i'll inherit for a TA car i'm helping with, then maybe use the Toshi Arai wheel set for some winter tyres.
The 114.3 PCD wheels are dirt cheap compared to the 100mm PCD pattern as the market for second hand buyers on these later cars is quite small.
I still have my original Gold wheels with RE-070's fitted i'm saving as a mint set, i'll use the third set to fit some worn R888's i'll inherit for a TA car i'm helping with, then maybe use the Toshi Arai wheel set for some winter tyres.
The 114.3 PCD wheels are dirt cheap compared to the 100mm PCD pattern as the market for second hand buyers on these later cars is quite small.
18 August 2010, 12:51 AM
#44
I think you miised my point.
The MY05 Blobeye has the same trim fitting as the hawkeye, the earlier blobeyes have the earlier trim fit you refer to, as you didnt qualify which Blobeye model year you refered to i was clarifying that.
It's a common theme where people put all the Blobeyes into the same group, when in fact the MY05 Blobeye has more in common with the Hawkeye version than the earlier Blobeyes.
The MY05 Blobeye has the same trim fitting as the hawkeye, the earlier blobeyes have the earlier trim fit you refer to, as you didnt qualify which Blobeye model year you refered to i was clarifying that.
It's a common theme where people put all the Blobeyes into the same group, when in fact the MY05 Blobeye has more in common with the Hawkeye version than the earlier Blobeyes.
18 August 2010, 09:06 AM
#46
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
I think you miised my point.
The MY05 Blobeye has the same trim fitting as the hawkeye, the earlier blobeyes have the earlier trim fit you refer to, as you didnt qualify which Blobeye model year you refered to i was clarifying that.
It's a common theme where people put all the Blobeyes into the same group, when in fact the MY05 Blobeye has more in common with the Hawkeye version than the earlier Blobeyes.
The MY05 Blobeye has the same trim fitting as the hawkeye, the earlier blobeyes have the earlier trim fit you refer to, as you didnt qualify which Blobeye model year you refered to i was clarifying that.
It's a common theme where people put all the Blobeyes into the same group, when in fact the MY05 Blobeye has more in common with the Hawkeye version than the earlier Blobeyes.
Yes... you are of course correct. The difference between the later "wide track" Blobeye and the Hawkeye is zero, apart from a face lift iirc. Unless you are talking about a UK car, which had the 2.5ltr engine and Drive By Wire (DBW) as well on the Hawkeye's.
Do you fancy writing a list of the differences between the early and late Blobeyes (and ultimately Hawkeyes) on this thread John? Would be a good bit of information as the differences are fairly substantial.
18 August 2010, 09:14 AM
#47
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
All changed now! 
18 August 2010, 09:15 AM
#48
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
18 August 2010, 09:25 AM
#49
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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It's parked up out of the way whilst some negotiations are going on.
David
18 August 2010, 05:48 PM
#51
I'm up to 4 sets of wheels now Shaun, i bought one set of rims for £50 and had them powder coated satin black, I used them for my track tyres (worn freeby D01J's i killed at TOTB), just had those now fitted with a virtually new set of RE-070's i bought on Toshi Aria wheels for £200, for the mean black look for a while.
I still have my original Gold wheels with RE-070's fitted i'm saving as a mint set, i'll use the third set to fit some worn R888's i'll inherit for a TA car i'm helping with, then maybe use the Toshi Arai wheel set for some winter tyres.
The 114.3 PCD wheels are dirt cheap compared to the 100mm PCD pattern as the market for second hand buyers on these later cars is quite small.
I still have my original Gold wheels with RE-070's fitted i'm saving as a mint set, i'll use the third set to fit some worn R888's i'll inherit for a TA car i'm helping with, then maybe use the Toshi Arai wheel set for some winter tyres.
The 114.3 PCD wheels are dirt cheap compared to the 100mm PCD pattern as the market for second hand buyers on these later cars is quite small.
18 August 2010, 07:41 PM
#52
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
EasyECU
Got back from discussing "what's what" with Tracktive Solutions today and I had a package! EasyECU had been received from EcuTEK! I can see the whole of this week being a bit busy now!
I won't go in to everything about EasyECU just yet, but basically EasyECU enables a user the ability to data log (a compatible ECU) and program their ECU (that already has an EcuTEK license on it) with ROM files created by a tuner (using EcuTEK). This would allow you to have multiple ROM files for your car, say for different fuel and / or boost levels etc and enable you to upload these to your ECU as you saw fit. MegaROM which is only available for the JDM cars allows you to switch between two full maps. EasyECU will allow you to upload between as many full maps as you wish, and you don't need a JDM ECU to do it!
EasyECU does not allow the user to edit ROM files, but you have so much functionality within EasyECU for datalogging (this is awesome) and performance testing (Road Dyno), it really is a great bit of kit. I have used Deltadash (data logger) before and this now forms part of EasyECU.
EasyECU supports the following variants:
2001 to 2005 MY 2ltr
UK and EU Impreza WRX
Australian & South African Impreza WRX
US Impreza WRX
Japanese WRX
UK & EU STI
JDM STI (all variants)
Forester Turbo
2004 to 2006 MY 2.5ltr (Drive By Wire)
STI
Forester
WRX
Legacy / Outback
Baja
A lot to talk about here but I will save it all up till I have some logs to show and peformance information from the current state of tune. It really is a fantastic suite of utilities that enable you to know abit more about what your ECU / Engine is doing, performance test and dyno your own car and enable you to program your ECU with tuner created EcuTEK ROM files.
Got back from discussing "what's what" with Tracktive Solutions today and I had a package! EasyECU had been received from EcuTEK!
I can see the whole of this week being a bit busy now! I won't go in to everything about EasyECU just yet, but basically EasyECU enables a user the ability to data log (a compatible ECU) and program their ECU (that already has an EcuTEK license on it) with ROM files created by a tuner (using EcuTEK). This would allow you to have multiple ROM files for your car, say for different fuel and / or boost levels etc and enable you to upload these to your ECU as you saw fit. MegaROM which is only available for the JDM cars allows you to switch between two full maps. EasyECU will allow you to upload between as many full maps as you wish, and you don't need a JDM ECU to do it!
EasyECU does not allow the user to edit ROM files, but you have so much functionality within EasyECU for datalogging (this is awesome) and performance testing (Road Dyno), it really is a great bit of kit. I have used Deltadash (data logger) before and this now forms part of EasyECU.
EasyECU supports the following variants:
2001 to 2005 MY 2ltr
UK and EU Impreza WRX
Australian & South African Impreza WRX
US Impreza WRX
Japanese WRX
UK & EU STI
JDM STI (all variants)
Forester Turbo
2004 to 2006 MY 2.5ltr (Drive By Wire)
STI
Forester
WRX
Legacy / Outback
Baja
A lot to talk about here but I will save it all up till I have some logs to show and peformance information from the current state of tune.
It really is a fantastic suite of utilities that enable you to know abit more about what your ECU / Engine is doing, performance test and dyno your own car and enable you to program your ECU with tuner created EcuTEK ROM files.
18 August 2010, 08:21 PM
#53
Gotcha!
Yes... you are of course correct. The difference between the later "wide track" Blobeye and the Hawkeye is zero, apart from a face lift iirc. Unless you are talking about a UK car, which had the 2.5ltr engine and Drive By Wire (DBW) as well on the Hawkeye's.
Do you fancy writing a list of the differences between the early and late Blobeyes (and ultimately Hawkeyes) on this thread John? Would be a good bit of information as the differences are fairly substantial.
Yes... you are of course correct. The difference between the later "wide track" Blobeye and the Hawkeye is zero, apart from a face lift iirc. Unless you are talking about a UK car, which had the 2.5ltr engine and Drive By Wire (DBW) as well on the Hawkeye's.
Do you fancy writing a list of the differences between the early and late Blobeyes (and ultimately Hawkeyes) on this thread John? Would be a good bit of information as the differences are fairly substantial.
There is a notable change in transmition from the widetrack Blobeye to the Hawkeye, they use the same DCCD-A control system sensor set (so you have the steering position and yaw sensors on both, which the earlier Blobeyes dont have), but the DCCD unit in the box is different utilising a change in torque split with a different drop gear ratio and rear axle ratio, so they handle slightly differently, with the Blobeye more biased to oversteer than the Hawkeye.
18 August 2010, 08:24 PM
#54
Scooby Regular
Thread Starter
Nice one John that would be really helpful!
According to the info I have, my torque split is 41:59, so not quite as rear bias as yours.
According to the info I have, my torque split is 41:59, so not quite as rear bias as yours.
18 August 2010, 08:28 PM
#55
Easy ECU looks interesting, i already use Delta Dash which is very handy. I've got saved logs and Road Dyno plots from my 2 previous cars (plus other peoples too) to use as comparisons to the current one car, so over time you can build up some interesting info on how your engine is working and how previous mods work on the road. I think this is much more useful than relying on rolling road dyno plots which just dont show the real world that well IMHO.
18 August 2010, 08:46 PM
#56
18 August 2010, 10:29 PM
#57
And so it begins...........hopefully will be another one of the most interesting & informative threads on Scoobynet again.
Just as I enjoyed reading your Spec C thread a few years ago & ended up getting a Hawkeye Spec C, I will next year again be following you & buying a JDM Hawkeye too!
Just as I enjoyed reading your Spec C thread a few years ago & ended up getting a Hawkeye Spec C, I will next year again be following you & buying a JDM Hawkeye too!
18 August 2010, 11:27 PM
#58
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18 August 2010, 11:41 PM
#59
Here's a start then, comparison of the differences between the MY05 JDM STi Blobeye to the MY06 JDM STi Hawkeye as FIA Homologated.
MY05 Blobeye MY06 Hawkeye
Engine size 1994.3cc 1997.8cc
Overall length 4415mm 4465mm
Front body overhang 920mm 975mm
Rear body overhang 955mm 950mm
Steering wheel to rear bulkhead 1502mm 1660mm
Steering wheel to brake pedal 660mm 640mm
Bore 92.0mm 92.02mm
Stroke 75.0mm 75.1mm
Gearbox drop gear ratio 1:1 1.1:1
Gearbox drop gear teeth 31:31 33:30
Rear diff ratio 10:39 11:39
Rear bootlid material steel aluminium
Bonnet scoop aperture height 90mm 60mm
Minimum Homologated weight 1271kg 1345kg
Min distance hub to wheel arch F333mm R277mm F340mm R310mm
Head/Bore Comb chamber min vol 67.8cm3 67.1cm3
Head Combustion chamber min vol 48.5cm3 48.5cm3
Max compression ratio 8.3:1 8.4:1
Lubrication system total capacity 5.5L 5.0L
Fuel Pump Unisia JECS 3.75l/min Hitachi 3.75l/min
Alternator 900Watts 1080Watts
Torque split range Front 35%-50% 41%-50%
Torque split range Rear 65%-50% 59%-50%
Front LSD Helical Helical
Rear LSD Plated Plated
Spec C additional homologations
Alloy boot lid Added As STi
Roof Vent Added Added
Boot IC water tank Added Added
Min weight Min 1234kg Min 1300kg
Oil capacity Decrease to 5.3L Increase to 5.3L
Fuel tank capacity 51.5L 51.5L and 61.5L
Engine oil cooler oil/air oil/air
Gearbox oil cooler oil/air oil/air
Fuel pump baffle chamber Added Added
Rear wiper Deleted Deleted
GroupN spec opened up in 2006 for more modifications using none OEM parts to allow 5 speed gear kit, 19mm and 21mm ARB’s, Front plated LSD, larger brakes, Servo delete, hydraulic handbrake etc….
I'll do the MY03/04/05 blobeye comparison later
MY05 Blobeye MY06 Hawkeye
Engine size 1994.3cc 1997.8cc
Overall length 4415mm 4465mm
Front body overhang 920mm 975mm
Rear body overhang 955mm 950mm
Steering wheel to rear bulkhead 1502mm 1660mm
Steering wheel to brake pedal 660mm 640mm
Bore 92.0mm 92.02mm
Stroke 75.0mm 75.1mm
Gearbox drop gear ratio 1:1 1.1:1
Gearbox drop gear teeth 31:31 33:30
Rear diff ratio 10:39 11:39
Rear bootlid material steel aluminium
Bonnet scoop aperture height 90mm 60mm
Minimum Homologated weight 1271kg 1345kg
Min distance hub to wheel arch F333mm R277mm F340mm R310mm
Head/Bore Comb chamber min vol 67.8cm3 67.1cm3
Head Combustion chamber min vol 48.5cm3 48.5cm3
Max compression ratio 8.3:1 8.4:1
Lubrication system total capacity 5.5L 5.0L
Fuel Pump Unisia JECS 3.75l/min Hitachi 3.75l/min
Alternator 900Watts 1080Watts
Torque split range Front 35%-50% 41%-50%
Torque split range Rear 65%-50% 59%-50%
Front LSD Helical Helical
Rear LSD Plated Plated
Spec C additional homologations
Alloy boot lid Added As STi
Roof Vent Added Added
Boot IC water tank Added Added
Min weight Min 1234kg Min 1300kg
Oil capacity Decrease to 5.3L Increase to 5.3L
Fuel tank capacity 51.5L 51.5L and 61.5L
Engine oil cooler oil/air oil/air
Gearbox oil cooler oil/air oil/air
Fuel pump baffle chamber Added Added
Rear wiper Deleted Deleted
GroupN spec opened up in 2006 for more modifications using none OEM parts to allow 5 speed gear kit, 19mm and 21mm ARB’s, Front plated LSD, larger brakes, Servo delete, hydraulic handbrake etc….
I'll do the MY03/04/05 blobeye comparison later
18 August 2010, 11:45 PM
#60
So basically the driver sits further forward in the Hawkeye and the front bodywork is further forward of the axle line, so the weight distribution is more nose heavy, added together with the torque split change it helps explain why the MY05 has less understeer.