Maybe its just me but I havent seen that many v2 engine rebuilds on here, are they stronger? I would have thought the v3 with its better breathing would be a bit better?
Does the closed deck on the v2 make it stronger??

 

The closed deck does make it stronger, but I think it's more to do with the mapping. Between v2 and v3 the standard power went up from 275ps to 280ps. Maybe v3 cars onwards are mapped for a higher octane, and so when they come over here and new owners don't put high octane fuel in them, the older cars will be less affected.

 

Thanks for your reply, what leads you to believe that the v3 is factory mapped to a higher octane ?

 

Stronger block if its closed and you want 500bhp but v3 heads have wild cams and are the one to get if you can find them

Mark A

 

So if one was happy with a 280/300bhp, the sti3 is probably the one to go for?

 

You'll hear people telling you that you MUST use 100 Ron fuel in an import but Japan didn't have that kind of fuel when the early cars where being made and so they wouldn't have been mapped for it.
I don't know the exact year Japan got 100 Ron fuel and so I was proposing that it happened between v2 & v3 due to the higher standard power and torque.
It's just my theory on it.

 

I dont think the 101 ron fuel was available in Japan till the version 3 came out, so you could say the ver 1 or 2 may not have as much issue running on the lower grade of fuel.

 

Thanks lads, thats something I was not aware of. A properly aftermarket mapped ecu for v3/4/5 etc for lower grade fuel would sort out that issue and make it on par if not better than a un mapped v2 running here? Would I be correct in saying that?

 

^^ If every thing is working as it should be, yes.
There's also an issue with the MAF sensors, v1/v2 MAF sensors are very reliable, where as the v3 - v6 ones are not so. Reading on here the v5 ones are especially fragile.
The newage cars seem to right again.

 

had mine v3 mapped on 96 octane had 240hp at the wheels on a 4wd dyno is this about right? still running stock boost