lol i'm sure it was set up properly with that sort of power.

I love my type r but no matter how much i love it there is no getting away from the fact that a newage is 120% stiffer, how the hell you go about getting the classic chassis that much stiffer i have no idea, but i do know that i can feel the difference, with most of the whiteline catalogue and a cage on the type r the blob still feels more plantad and its standard at the moment

At the end of the day it really does depend what the car is for and what your preferences are for that particular purpose.

I bought my type r as a toy, track days hill climbs, sprints and weekend blasts, the blob wagon is a practical quick road car for everyday living, which ticks more of my lifestyle requirement boxes than anything else out there and is very affordable and i won't have to worry where i park it, because its only a 4k motor.

But if i were in the market i would definately get the spec c and mod it a bit,just in case a hot classic showed up in my rear view, i'd like to make sure it stays there

 

Tony why change from a VF28 to the MD109? turbo when the VF28 "should" make 320bhp, especially with the FMIC. It's no wonder your Type r doesent feel as quick as your Spec C. My Version 5 type R is running at round 320-330, and is massively different to what it was with just a cat back exhaust.

 

I reckon if Tony drove a proper speced classic STI we would see a certain Spec C in our for sale section......

 

Good idea

The Tony Burns Spec C, Sorted Classic Shootout

 

Not sure if mine counts as a 'sorted classic' but I'd give it a go, lol.

 

Sounds good to me

 

If it's been modified from standard it's a useless comparison imo.

If we compared my JDM STI against Tony's SPEC C, mine would leave his for dust around a track.

 

Have been reading this thread with interest.

There was a simmilar debate on the MLR in regards to the early evos (1-4) and the later evos (5-10)

The early evos are awesome cars (Ive had one) but the truth of the matter is the later evos are a better car all round. Yes they are bigger and heavier but they are stronger and better out of the box.

If money was no object we would all have a newer impreza, fact !

(Btw spec C FTW )

 

if money were no object, i would drive a V3 Type R FACT !
The V3 STI Type R is one of the best STI out of the box (as said by one of the STI engineers in Japan) and apparently Tsuchiya San (the Japanese drift fella) confirms it (in one of those BestMotoring videos) by saying that it's proper good fun those things.

 

Yes the newage cars are stiffer, they had 120% tortional stiffness increase. This means the chassis twists less under heavy cornering which allows the newer cars to handle better in standard trim.
Things like cages, front and rear strut braces increase the torsional stiffness of a car dramatically, wheather or not by 120% I dont know but the difference will be so small us mere mortals will never see the difference.
For instance, jack up a standard classic near the front wheel and watch that wheel rise while the rear wheel on the same side remains on the ground.
On my car with its cage and braces even the slightest movement upward near the front wheel raises the rear. So my cars torsional stiffness has been increased dramatically, maybe not quite to the extent of a newage but more than enough. Enough for any average driver not to notice anyway.

 

Would you leave it 100% standard?

What was the last sti model the engineer you mention drove? What was he comparing the Ver3 to? (I agree the ver3 is a great car btw)

 

looks wise, just me, but i will always prefer the classic 2 door
the engineer was merely making comparison to the other 9 sti models made.
would i leave it standard, yes- for the road, no- for the track

craig

 

it was running the suspension removed from the gobstopper in its early days, so doubt that very much. the type 25 on the normal road was far more planted where the sti 5 was twitchy on anything other than a track.

 

Don't suppose you have a link to that Evo thread do you buddy. Bet that is an interesting read also and having owned a few I'd like to read it.

Even with the Evo's I found the early cars more fun. I had a 1 and then a 3 which were both un-modified and great fun to drive. I then had an evo 6 TM through my hands and like the newage Impreza I didn't rate it as high as the early cars. Don't get me wrong it was still a great car but just felt too easy. It went fast without trying and just didn't make my adrenaline pump like the older cars do. I would even say you could put a very average driver in a newer model evo and they could drive it very fast without too much of a problem.
With the older cars you really have to drive it, put an average driver in one and ask them to go quickly and I'm sure there would be a phone call to the insurance.

Maybe that's why Tony rates his Spec C so highly. In reality he's just a very average driver who lacks the skill to drive a classic quickly whereas a newage masks that fact and makes him look and feel like a decent driver...

 

but pal you are not comparing like for like a jdm sti with mid 300's and your car which has had 1000's chucked on it. this is what tony is trying to get across, which i think you are missing.

i see what you are saying take the value of a good spec but a well sorted classic for sub 10k (forges, 6 speed, suspesion etc all done) then with the remaining cash make it even better / faster and i am sure you will have a car that will out do in certain terms the relatively standard spec c but again that is not comparing like for like

 

Also,
I wonder why RCM chose a classic for their world famous 'Gobstopper'.
Money is obviously no issue but still they chose a flimsy old classic over the amazing, tough, stiff newage car........

 

I totally agree I'm not comparing like for like. In an un-modified state the newage car is a far better car and tool than the classic. But that is not the point I am making.

The OP asked for fun, a highly modified classic offers more fun than a newage of the same value. If money was no object then yes, get a tuned up top of the range spec C and wipe the floor with everything, but money is an object and all of us only have a certain amount.

 

They are building a hatch at the mo

In regards to the mlr thread ill try find it bud

 

Great thread

Keep it going guys, eventually you will come to the conclusion that the Spec C is the daddy

Lee.

 

Yep I heard about their new car buddy but still doesn't change the fact they used a classic as their first one rather than a newer model. If they are 'that' much better from the box why use a classic shell ?
They are not doing a new one because the first gobstopper stopped being competitive though.

 

Brilliant thread! Makes a change that people can put their opinions across without the kick offs

 

Totally agree buddy.
We are all adults here with different opinions and definitely makes some interesting reading for those thinking of joining the Impreza club..

 

Well we know yours is

Whens your 1st competative outing then Lee?

 

I once asked rcm which they thought makes the better base for a track car. Ollie reckoned the new age makes a better starting point for most people because of the stiffer shell, stronger gearbox and diffs, brembos, etc. he did say the classic would make the most off of power upgrades because of its light weight though.

 

Now thats being very cheeky I could say that you needed to buy an improved car because due to your bad driving you kept crashing your other ones but you also have to remember that you dont need all the bells and whistles to have fun, quite a few hot hatches from the 80's made (and still do) for a great all round car

As for the RCM Gobstopper, well you could say you start cheap and then your next one is an improvement over the first, then you improve the next one after that or it may just be that a race prepped shell came up and it was easier to use that, you would have to speak with RCM, though note even subaru's latest cars are quicker than their previous incantations (this includes the handling, none of this straight line ***** driving )

Tony

 

It came with the car, not something I would have done tbh, its too laggy but as I mentioned before, this is the sort of thing that use to go on in the late 90's and early 00's, and the MD109 is an old turbo now compared to what is available on the market.
I would go back to a vf28 or even a VF34, see what comes up if I decide to keep the car

Tony

 

Can't believe this thread is still going
Tony and Matty,I'll arrange a ring for you 2 to settle it over blows

 

 

This is a great thread and makes a change to the usual garbage that turns into a 10 page slagging match, But then again theres still another 6 pages to go so it could all go very wrong yet

Out of interest was there ever an official time set by subaru in a classic, Type R, P1 etc, Around the nurburgring

 

You may change your opinion with the VF28/34 on your Type R, and realise that it's the better car