thanks for the quick reply

yeah sure I will do, what sort of price am I looking to pay for some coilovers? I would have thought something like BC's?

also I have started to read a lot of threads on HG failure. Is this something that can just happen regardless of how you drive? i,e keep off boost most times?

 

Depends on the ones you go for but you are looking at close to £1k for supply, fit and geometry setup. A few of the guys here have BCs (search this thread and u will see its been discussed).

As for the HG the simple scary answer is yes... It isn't actually the gaskets failing as such it is that they leak. You'll be hard pushed to get a 100% answer as to why but theories range from bad torqueing at the factory to wrong fueling in use. Either way it 'can' happen but without spending a fortune rebuilding the engine 'in fear' there is little you can do about it. Just drive it like you stole it (after getting it warm), enjoy the thing and have fun.

Take note of the temp gauge when warmed up.... If it ever lifts to half way then you can start to worry. If it does, check the heater for cold air when it should be hot.

 

It's been a while since any updates on this thread, so here's a couple of wintery photos!

 

nice

loving the first picture

 

Has been a long time for updates! Really nice pics there... I bet that was a little more scary conditions for the MX5's on those roads! (good fun though).

Been ages since I got my teeth into the Scoob. Very boring service related stuff for me and no real mods. I got a Smart car at the start of the rear to save the Scoob from a lot of the small journeys my work has me doing... since then I've been getting 25-27mpg (RoadTrip App) when I do use it on the longer runs(!) .... must be getting old and not pushing it like i used to!

 

where was that last picture taken matey?

 

Great snowy pics them, sorry guys not been on here for ages.
Well the 6 months tax on the spec d finished at the end of September. Then the new battery went flat after just 2 weeks of standing. Sorted it out since by means of removing the earth and live leads. I've bought one of those AA solar chargers! not used it yet but I wonder if they do any harm if you leave them connected for long periods of time!
I can't make my mind up if I'm gunna tax it for 1st Jan as its good fun to take it out in the snow. But when I look at other cars on the road and how mucky they look, I think yep, it can stay in the garage on a sorn as its all nice n shiny and no salt getting underneath it! with lack of use the mileage is really falling down on it too, in relation to its age. I don't mind leaving it in garaged as a have a decent Golf Tdi to run about in, which does 50+mpg and is pretty nippy and only £140 to tax. Oh well, I'll just have to make the decision when January comes....

 

Merry Christmas Spec D fans :-)

 

And another one...



Reg'd 22/5/2006

greatgonzo - I've seen yours about the Tadworth/Banstead area (I work in Banstead)

Mine now has a forged engine, blob eye rear lamps, Tein springs with rebuilt dampers, 333bhp...

 

A few of mine ! Fully forged now :-)

 

A few of my SpecD. Time for change!
http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/...spoiler019.jpg
http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/...spoiler001.jpg
http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/...155546_704.jpg
http://i1180.photobucket.com/albums/...132659_727.jpg
More to come in a few weeks

 

Interesting change in colour. Just change that silver front grill now and lower it a little.

 

I posted on the thread at the beginning of last year.

It went off the road in May and then from September until January, I rebuilt the engine to a fully forged unit.

Finally got it back on the road 4 weeks ago and have been loving it ever since.

I upgraded the blower on it as well to a SC42 twinscroll, and with standard top mount and airbox, it made 390.5 hp

Well happy with results.

I'll get some pictures up once I have more time to put them altogether and give a brief project thread.

 

Sounds fantastic, what sort of torque figure are you getting?

 

Really does sound like a good setup! What sort of hardship was it to get twinscroll on the Spec-D? I mean blower itself of course but I assume full system inc manifold too + remap or was it more involved than that?

 

Hi

Well I never intended to change the turbo when I set out doing the rebuild.

It started out just as a simple head gasket change. Then I decided to put forged pistons in. Then I thought, well if I'm doing that I may as well do the rods, and if and doing that I may as well do the crank etc etc. I knew then that it was definitely going to need a remap and it just snowballed from there. I spent the first few months just travelling around and listening to peoples advise and recommendations.

I had very limited funds, and tried to do as much of the work myself to keep the costs down. Luckily I had time on my side and was able to keep the car in my parents nice big garage and use all my Dad's tools in the process

Getting the engine out was pretty simple. I've done it before to change the clutch and cam belt. Once out stripping it was fairly simple, but you don't realise how much ancillaries are actually on the engine until you start removing them. The garage soon started to feel very small!

One thing was certain, and that was I knew I wanted remove as much of the unnecessary equipment as possible to reduce weight and load on the engine. I was going to reuse the standard VF43 and extract as much potential out of it as I could with various head work and by porting exhaust manifold etc. Off came the secondary pump along with the TGV's.

I could only work on the car 2-3 nights a week due to my job, and I realised that if I were to try and forge the short block my self, it was going to be many many months before the car was back together. To prevent time delays I bit the bullet and bought a pre-built short block from Pole Position that Sha had built for his car.

It had a 79mm Nitrided Crank, Wiseco 100mm forged pistons, H rods (can't remember brand), ACL race bearings (big end and main) with a new sump and Cosworth baffle plate. More importantly, the short block and been pinned to reinforce the cylinder liners and rated to over 550bhp. (proven setup)
I followed Sha's advise and used the gaskets and thickness he recommended.
I think they were 1.2mm. Possibly 1.6. I will have to check.
On the 2005-2006 engines the standard size is 0.7mm. My heads needed skimming and the because the block had been honed and skimmed also, it was best to play safe.
Sha also provided the TGV deletes and Secondary air pump deletes.

Then one day when I was up at Scoobyclinic, and was chatting to Kev about my project. He asked me what my long term goal was with the car. After reading good things in the states about how they have converted the 2.5 to twinscroll turbo's I'd quite like to put one of your twinscroll turbo's on and give it a try, just to be different, I replied. Aiming around the 400bhp mark.
"I can do you a cracking deal on a new SC42" he said!

That day I walked out with a new turbo, perrin turbo linet pipe, thermal mainfold spacers, spec c exhaust manifold and up-pipe, decat twinscroll downpipe and rolls of heat wrap!

The car from new had a PPP on it, so already had the uprated fuel pump and a prodrive back box which I wanted to keep. The down pipe is a 3" to 2.5" and I changed the centre section to a non resonated stainless steel pipe so that the whole system is stainless steel.

Next was the clutch. Not wanting to take the engine out again anytime soon and now needing something that could hold the extra power and torque, I shopped around and managed to secure a Exedy Hyper Carbon Twin Plate Clutch at a cracking price from Andy at RA Motorsport!!!

Worried I might have done something wrong, and expecting the engine may have to come out again, I decided to remove the air con too. Never used it but can easily refit it if needed.

Then finally, after weeks of labour intensive work and set backs caused from my own inexperience which I won't bore you with, the car was back together and ready to be mapped at Scoobyclinic.

Needless to say, even the lads there could not believe it made that power. They were convinced it wouldn't go above 340 with a standard airbox.

And here's the proof!



Sorry if I board you with that long read!

But to add for comparison. This is the original graph when the car was standard.



Initially when I got the read out I was a bit disappointed.
I wanted to put a twinscroll on to improve drivability. In standard form the car lacked below 3500 rpm and you were constantly changing down to be then be confronted with a sudden surge of torque and power.
In slow corners it particularly annoyed me as you couldn't accelerate out them quickly without revving the nuts off it.

I was hoping the twinscroll would reduce the lag and increase spool to give it an edge from 2000rpm onwards.

Well the verdict is, it's done exactly that. Despite how the curve looks, drivability has increased 10 fold and has transformed the car into a much better driving machine.
In reality the power delivery feels alot more linear and controllable. Theres no sudden jolt of power or torque that you would previously encounter. Just a relentless consistent pull all the way to the redline.
I now never need to drive on boost, and often find my self shifting at 3500rpm at the most reaching 70mph effortlessly.

Surprisingly, if you drive it gently at 60-70mph, I'm getting over 30mpg close to 35 maybe 36 on really long runs. Thats more than I used to get.

Any way enough of my waffle! Hope you've managed to read it all without falling asleep!

Any questions/criticism etc just fire away. Happy to address what I can.

 

Here is mine, registered in 2006

 

Looking good Marshall (even if it has got that non-spec d spoiler )

@Stealth that was a great write up.

Some serious cash dropped into that on just the parts alone I'd guess. I'd love to go the single scroll billet route myself. Just soooo much money when you can't do the work yourself and given that API did the re-build I'd want them doing it (ca ching!! )

What kind of work did you find removing the secondary air pump system? Looks a real pig to me but I can't get this ECU light mapped out until I actually do that and blank it. Bring on the summer so I can at least a good look at it!

 

yeah not as stealth I admit. It came with the car and as it is a PPP I thought I might get away with it

 

I like the look of that
I also have the engine management light on from my secondary air pump

 

To do a full secondary air pump delete its a pain in the ****. Doing it with the engine out the car was bad enough, I wouldn't contemplate doing it in the car unless you are doing other work at the same time.
The reason being, the pipework that goes from the pump to the back of heads is so tightly crammed in it makes seeing and working on very difficult.
The most important thing is making sure the bolts come out the head in one piece and with a decent thread because you have to reuse them, and the gaskets.
The passenger side bottom bolt sheared on mine and had to be drilled and tap died. If that happens to you with the engine in, the cars off the road and engine out. Big repair bill for a simple mod.
You've got to remember those bolts have been in there almost 10 years now and are pretty coked up with water and corrosion adding the problem. It was literally fused into the head, probably because of how hot the heads get.
If you are going to attempt removing all the pipework with the engine in, I seriously suggest you soak the bolt with WD40 or penetrating spray for at least a week before hand!
You can just remove the pump and leave the PGV in place I believe to prevent the need to blank the heads off. There is a thread on IWSTi I remember reading.

Alternatively, I have a perfectly working secondary I pump going cheap that's sitting in my garage if anyone wants to replace it and remove their CEL short term.

 

Ugggg sounds exactly what I suspected it would be... a nightmare. I'll do some digging for that thread on iwsti as I've heard something similar. From what I'd seen so far of the job with the engine in it is all about getting the right tools in the right places with a series of breaker bars. I'll get a quote for the job from API soon as I'm sure they have done it so many times with the engine in situ that they can do it blind folded.

Thanks for the offer on the pump... if I had to sell the car sometime soon I'd go that route but a blanking and mapping will add more value in the long term (if you can add value to a Scoob!! )

@Marshall - I have to admit I like the look of the spoiler too. I only mock cause I am forced to being fully 'Spec-D subtle' on my motor cause I use it to visit customers and right or wrong, the loud and lairy look doesn't give a great first impression

 

Anyone recognise the one in my profile pic. I'm in the process of buying it from Wolverhampton subaru dealer and just wanted more info on it.

 

Not a spec D, but pretty similar

 

Not one I've seen before personally (or I'd probably suggested to paint that scoop )

Seems there are still a few of the old girls out there coming out of the woodwork. Post the first reg date (and you Marshall) so Warren can add you both to the list.

A little early to confirm but looks like I will getting Secondary Air Pump removed and then a mapping session next month all going well....

I really have to fight the urge to ask this but what Exhaust systems are you guys running? With the prospect of Bob Rawle mapping the car it almost feels wrong handing him a stock exhaust'd car!

 

As requested here is the first reg date: 01 07 2006

 

I have just got a cheapo eBay cat back on mine

 

Hayward and Scott turbo back on mine with a Racebox rear silencer. Sounds good but not very loud so keeps the neighbours happy.

 

WRSport on mine.

 

Thanks guys - I have to keep mine fairly sensible in terms of sound as I do use the car for customer facing visits (whole reason I got a Spec-D).

Hayward & Scott sounds like a good bet as I believe they make the Pro-drive exhausts and having owned one it was a nice change up from stock without making your ears bleed.

Anyone running a Milltek sports cat system? Way over my price bracket really but I know I'll get the best from the mapping if I went that route (though I really need to get the idea out of my head for financial reasons!! )