My STI5 TypeR arrives next week and I need to go on a trip from Manchester to Cornwall for a few days (about 500 miles I guess)

So this question is aimed at people who own STI's or even better to answer my question, TypeR's.

Would you consider making this journey in your scoob, or would you hire a car to do it in.

My worries are as follows:

Gonna put 1000 miles on the scoob sat on a boring motorway.
its gonna cost a absolute fortune in petrol. (how much do you think??)
can I stand the exhaust drone for 5 hours (has a HKS dragger)
I don't know how reliable this scoob is

Taking the following into consideration, would you go down in the scoob and enjoy your first week of ownership, or would you hire something like a 206 and make the journey in that? Bearing in mind I will be picking the g/f up in cornwall and driving back with her.

What are your reasons.

Thanks

 

Other people will have diffeent opinions but heres mine anyway

I have a type RA so similar but 4 doors . I dont think I would want to drive it that far, the car would make it easily BTW, but I dont know if I would . The STI suspension on mine is a bit tiring but fun . The worst thing is it they arent really built for motorways and rev quite high at motorway speeds. 20mph per 1000 rpm in 5th. They are okay if you are intending doing 70mph all the way 3,500rpm. It depends on the exhaust as well, if its standard it will be a lot better. I have a cat back system ie straight through centre and scoobysport backbox and it sounds great but I dont think I would want to do 300 miles in one go in it. The RA is probably worse due to lack of sound proofing but the gearing will be similar.

Also I would think careful where you would leave the car when you are down there, ie secure parking.

 

For what you'd spend in fuel I'd rather take the hire car. Why put the scoob through 1000 miles of motorway when you can take a pile a poo and not worry about stone chipping etc.

You'll not apprieciate the scoob on a motorway its just not what they were made for.


dazza

 

Hear, Hear !! Everthing you say is right chrisp. I have 2 2 door V4 type R's at the mo one standard and one very heavily modified and neither would be my choice for any great distance. They're great fun but with the low gearing they WILL use heaps of fuel. And yes be careful where you park it at any time.

I love both of mine to bits - but.........

David API Engines

 

Or you could always go down using old A+B roads and turn it into an adventure (expensive + timeconsuming but FUN!)

snowy

 

I'm another RA owner that lovely to drive as it is, long journeys we always take the Golf.
Specially motorway driving, seems to be reving too high (I still reach to change up when I'm in 5th after 6 months )

I would take a hire car myself.

 

Drive and enjoy done 50k in my Type R motorway or whatever why buy it if you dont want to drive

 

I love driving mine but 500 motorway miles would not be as good as a 50 mile drive on some good A roads and I would feel battered and bruised at 500. I noticed the g/f will have to do 500 miles I am sure she will be happy at the end of the journey .

2.5 years and I still go for 6th

[Edited by chrisp - 4/30/2003 9:45:22 PM]

 

If your just going to be taking delivery, is there any warranty on the car, if so take it and if you notice any 'niggles' you can get them sorted.

simb

 

Just watch out on the Motorway. 'specialy if youve just got the car.
Cos sure as ****,no matter how sensible you try to be. someones gonna rub you up. And to releive the boredom you'll bite.
these roads are crawling with Plains.
I reckon about £175 on Optimax and 5 bottles of booster.

 

Agree with GrahamStocker, I go from Essex to North Cornwall a lot as I have a holiday home there. It's 323 miles each way and I do it at night in MY02 STI7 lowered and hard ride

If you love the car that much and pay all that money for it then it's no good sitting on the driveway

Take the scoob and enjoy it, you can wave at all the other on the way

Edited as I had wrong smilie...



[Edited by Nick1 - 4/30/2003 11:34:35 PM]

 

Thanks for the info guys.
Although I know I'll want to take it down there, as pointed out (i missed that fact) it will pick up stone chips and as it has none at all now, I don't wanna make a mess of it.

Think I'll hire a 206

 

I don't think you should let that stop you..you must have bought it to drive anyway? Just don't tailgate and you'll avoid the stones. I take my 22B from Sarf Essex to Inverness and beyond at least once a year(usually a 2.0/2.5k mile trip )..on the motorway at 85ish MPH I get 300 miles to 55ish litres. Motorway tarmac is great so the suspension ain't a problem. And once there you have the greatest roads to play with!
I say take it.
Rgds
Chuck

 

Why bother buying a TypeR if its gonna sit on your driveway ?
Bought mine in January and I definately wouldnt want to be
driving no poxy 206 hire car while my dream car stays at home ?
As for fuel costs if I stick to 80 on the motorway I can get
300 to a tankfull no problem (optimax and 60ml NF booster).
These motors are definately meant for driving and I`m sure that
when you get yours,all the questions you raise will become
totally irrelevant as the permanent grin you`ll be wearing
will far outweigh them.
Enjoy your new motor mate,they are great cars and I don`t regret
buying mine one bit.

 

If you take a poxy 206 down to Corwall, when you get there you will be pig sick 'cause there are loads of great twisty roads down there and you will want to be in a proper car to play on them.

The car should be great fun to drive but you do have to get it to where the fun is. To do that you can either drive it there or trailer it there.

If you don't want to drive it why did you buy it.

 

Interesting mixed bag of comments.

I dont like to drive mine on the motorway, but often do the 150mile each way trip for events and family visits. At 4000rpm I can easily get 30mpg.

One thing I would say is that once you start going over 4000rpm (80mph) the oil starts to get hot (according to the defi's) and heads over 95deg. If you keep around that mark, it stays at 90-95.

The problem is trying not to keep flooring it through gaps when people sit on your O/S/R as everyone drives at 80.

Having said that, if it was my choice, id take our Escort, for one thing it ha a bigger boot and attracts less attention.

One thing I was considering, when the clutch goes, is to put a higher 5th gear in (like the V Limited), but having seen Mega's post (he has one), im wondering if 88mph/4000 will be that much better.

 

Whoa there, you spend thousands on a typeR and want to hire a car

I regularly visit my folks on the scottish border from Woking in Surrey and last weekend clocked up over 1000 miles round trip, with about 800 on motorways.

Car is a TypeR with full s/s decat. I'd always take the scooby, I even got 27mpg. The seats are dead comfy, the noise is fantastic and its worth spending the cash on fuel for that smile that it brings.....

Don't wrap it in cotton wool, its a car to be driven

 

Borrow my Wagon...... and I'll use the Type R

J

 

me owns a v4 type R, has been for the last 18 months, never left home without it! and i mostly do motorway miles. 30k per annum mostly in the scoob.

fuel comsump - at 80-90mph (my driving speed) is ok expect abt 250 miles for a full tank.

drone? mine has a hks hiper muffler and it's loud but i do have a nice sound system though.

all i can say is the joy of driving a type R and possible stares from other drivers make it worth the long boring journey. otherwise, u r just another car on the motorway.

I do love my car to bits but it's just a car and it's there for me to trash and drive it as frequently as I can.

The choice is yours.

Cheers

 

I have a Type R, and for all personal journeys I use it, and enjoy it. If i need to do any business miles (regular trips to Leeds etc), then I will hire out a car (don't want to put any mileage on that I won't enjoy, and working, I definitely do NOT enjoy )
I have a Blitz Nur SPec R on mine, and TBH, at 80MPH maintained, the exhaust is fairly quiet (running next to no boost to maintain speed) but when I do boot it WAAAAHHHHHAAAAYYYYYY!!!!

If I was you, I would take it, find some nice roads in Cornwall and treat yourself to a nice coastal drive - you will not regret it, I assure you!

 

I used to have a short geared import and always took it on journeys in preferance to my missus 50mpg diesel machine! Admittidly it was a bit noisey but why have a fast car if you don't drive it...

Jon (30k PA in GTR now )

 

Take the TypeR or wear a girls blouse.....

[ big brother]...YOU DECIDE [ /big brother]

 

Think I'd need an osteopath after a journey like that in my Type R

250 miles around North Wales has me looking like a crippled 90 yr old man when I get out

 

ok, I think you swung me the other way now...heh

The car I have bought is a V-Limited, so from what I read, the 5th should be better suited.

Your right....a 206 sounds too boring.

 

just do it

 

Mine is a limited version and still has the short 5th gear. I think it was an factory option to have the long STI 5th gear ratio (23mph/1000rpm IIRC) rather than the racing 5th ratio.

So it may have or may not. Dont worry you will notice straight away

 

5th on my V-ltd runs 4000 revs at 80. This should take you easy to an indicated 160.
I,d be tempted to nip into Wales on the way down/up though.
Did it a couple of years ago in an MX5.
Happy days.

Enjoy your car Gedi. You couldn't be disappointed.

 

I've got the Long 5th in my V5 Type R Ltd. Makes it all a bit more civilised, and madness is only just back across the gate!!!

Mine's in storage at the Old Man's farm while I commute in my 92J Legacy 4CAM from Banbury to MK every day. Not much better on fuel but miles mean nothing to the value now and you can park it anywhere...



DR

 

how will I know if my typer has the long 5th?

 

If youre doing 80mph it will display 4000rpm