rubberman

Hi all, first post on this forum and I'm after some info if anyone can help.

I'm wanting to get a new car in the new year and I was thinking along the lines of an RS focus, but I had a look at a P1 at a garage near me and read up on the specs and I think I may have changed my mind!! If I can buy something to keep up with my mates e46 M3 I'd be a happy man!

Anyway, I'm a novice when it comes to Imprezzas, especially P1's, so I'm after any info really along the following lines:

-What are the main things I should look out for on the P1? are there any common/main/expensive problems that go wrong?
-How reliable on average is a standard P1?
-What are the service intervals/cambelt changes and any idea what these cost on average?
-I know this isn't why people buy the car! but what sort of mpg do you get when you're driving it hard/laid back? I do a reasonable amount of miles thats all.

I'm just wanting to get the whole picture before I buy one - It's one thing buying it, but I want to know what I'm gonna let myself in for running one!

Cheers

Rob

john banks

P1 - paint work, standard brakes are weedy, engines can pop - big ends or pistons, sometimes due to MAF failure. Probably no worse on reliability than an E46 M3.

Service - 7500 miles or 6 months. About £100 for the minor services. Cambelt 45000 or 60000 can't remember, £300-400. Some of the intermediate services have brake fluid, gear oil, fuel filter, plugs etc and are more like £200 if nothing is wrong.

Economy - 25-30mpg on a gentle cruise, 20mpg if you cruise at 100mph , 10-20mpg driving hard, 5-10mpg on track.

To keep up with an M3 you would be best to upgrade the brakes and tyres, do the geometry, put a full exhaust on and remap it to about 320 BHP.

To beat an M3 whilst hardly trying you need about 400 BHP.

terryb

Rob

I've had my P1 now for a year and am doing 20k miles a year.

Average fuel bill - between 220 and 240 miles for a tank full of Optimax - about £44.

As John mentioned, standard brakes are poor, so look for one with a brake upgrade as your 1st priority - any other mods should come secondary, but 18's are also widely regarded as a good mod for the handling. Timing belt service is the big one - at 60k miles or 4 years - will set you back £650. Touch wood, I've had nothing go wrong with the P1 - so reliability is good - but the engines do tend to go bang (there are plenty of reports about it) without you expecting it, so for peace of mind a remap and a knocklink would be worth it. Havwe a look on www.p1woc.co.uk for more info.

rubberman

cheers for the info. As I said theres a P1 at a garage near where I live so I wouldnt mind having a test drive. I've seen a couple of type r's recently too, would you stick with the p1?

Gidney&Knowlesy

"To beat an M3 whilst hardly trying you need about 400 BHP."

LOL

john banks

What, you need more than that ? An extra 96 BHP per ton makes the job quicker and easier certainly (especially when the Scooby has AWD losses and lag to contend with), the guy did want to know how to keep up From what I see from a roll, a 340 BHP Classic (ie TD05 with FMIC, headers, 1.3 bar) edges away from an M3, 993 or 996 C2 or C4 even at decent speed. Another 60 BHP say gets it done without you having to try so hard.

Gidney&Knowlesy

No John, I was laughing as you only need a stanley knife.........pshhhhhhhh; available from all Good DIY shops......£1.99 at most



T&C apply to the above comments & in no way do those comments support illegal actions of any sort.

john banks

LOL. I really like BMWs though

TonyBurns

iTrader: (3)

I do quite well with 300bhp
Havnt had one that can outpace me yet (ie im quicker )

Tony

john banks

So you need to try quite hard then Tony

jonny gav

iTrader: (1)

i was amazed at how easily i pulled away from my bosses E46 M3, the look on his face was priceless

before this he said there is no way i would be able to keep up with him

now he just keeps quiet

rubberman

Lol, thats the exact reaction I want! my mates always going on about how he can pull away from anything in his M3, typical BMW driver!!

Gaz P

Good thing is, you'll be doin it for a lot less money.......

Gaz

Fat Boy

I have a nice little video of my P1 and an E46 M3 at Silverstone. I even gave him 3 or 4 corners before I started trying as I only arrived in the afternoon so I needed to warm my tyres etc on my first run of the day - mind you I was only able to resist going for it until about half way through Becketts...

I don't have any hosting ability so if you'd like to see it send me an email address via Personal Mail on here and I 'll send it on (circa 8MB) - perhaps you could show it to your mate....

FB

rubberman

that would be brilliant!! PM sent...

Fat Boy

YHM

Fat Boy

Video sent, but with attached e-mail it reached just over 11MB. Let me know if it gets through or not

rubberman

Yeah I got it thanks, that M3 did set off pretty quick didn't he! realed him in though! is your P1 standard? If I do get one I'll have to sort out a track day, I've never done one but I bet it's brilliant.