Was nothing personal is just the impression you have created. You don't want a JDM yet your buying everything JDM to stick on?
And if you've driven JDM's you would know the interior is the same, the spec d interior is the same as the A line the only difference is the seats in both the spec d and A line they get leather interior.


What colour/year was the R205 you drove and who did it belong to? And did he also mention how he registered the car?

Not all JDM. I'm just using official parts where I can and there are a lot of JDM and Group N parts that are good for what I want.

All I'm really aiming to do is get a bit more stiffness into the car as by default the Cosworth is set a little soft. Twiddling the dampers sorts a lot of that out but adding a bit to it is hardly recreating a JDM car, more adding a bit to what I've got - I'm not actually replacing anything. It just so happens that most of the stiffening stuff I'm putting on is JDM STi from the 20th anniversary, S206 or R205. I could have quite easily gone down the white line route and created something very similar. I hadn't originally planned to go that way, it just started off that I came across some Group N and Spec C parts and it set a theme. It's quite nice to see parts with the same names written across them :cool:

So it's not that I'm chucking everything away and building a JDM even if it can be done. I'd have had yours off you if I had wanted a JDM car. It was the character of the forged Cosworth engine that determined the car I bought. I'm very happy with the suspension but I can improve my car to the spec I want for around the cost of bringing an R205 to 400-odd BHP and adding bits onto that that I'd want to.

Alex's R205 is silver and has darkened Enkei wheels, running RE070s. The car was registered in Japan to a colleague at the company he works for and was then bought off him and shipped to Italy. I do not have a clue how registration of vehicles works in Italy lol.

I know the A line interior and body is largely the same as a Spec D having owned one and driven a pretty mega creation of Iain's that was based on the A line. For some odd reason though the Spec D lacked the rear wiper but had a lot of the other standard JDM bits. The interior is often largely the same but a lot of import cars do not have the leather interior which I believe is an awful lot nicer than the cloth one. I am actually looking to see where I can get the leather dash wheel surround that I have seen on the carbon edition that's pretty nice I think. The interior on the Spec C is horrid if you intend to use it regularly as a car for carrying passengers unfortunately.

Did you sell your R205 in the end?

Agh I see what your doing tbh I would go down the same route as opposed to whiteline stuff the STI gear is great and will complete your car.

I think you've got your wires crossed somewhere or your friend Alex has as the R205 isn't available in silver only white,black,red and blue.

Was provisionally sold to someone in Italy has sent me over a decent deposit and have not heard from the bloke since. :luxhello:
Think I'll be keeping it as I really want to do the Nurburgring and Spa in her. :thumb:
Will go on one of those private days with destination Nurburgring etc

Im confused with you thenewgalaxy, why do you think the JDM interior is crap unless you saw a motorsport version of a Spec C? which is designed to be stripped and built into a grp N or A car (well only grp N now), the rest have good or even better interiors to a UK car (for example my spec c has the black interior which only came on the WR1 for a UK car), otherwise my previous Spec C had the same interior as a car of similar age (UK spec wise).
As for picking a car because of the cosworth engine.... hmmm you understand that the cosworth engines that are in those 75 cars are not quite the same to those in the ones like Iain Litchfield has?
To start with one has already let go (with less than 1900 miles on the clock, the dealer was based in Cheshire), they basically built the engine from the Subaru unit and considering Prodrive offered something similar 2 years earlier for much less it makes you think someone was having a laugh (and it wasnt Prodrive!)
The best part about the CS400 was all the kit it got, but it was seriously overpriced and its not as quick as they make it out to be (which is a real pain tbh, hence why no one wanted to buy it and why it suffered long delays in delivery).

Its not a put down on buying a CS400 but Subaru UK have bent alot of people over and giving them a good old shafting in the cost of their cars, its I.M. that charged the 50k for the CS400 but a Prodrive car was estimated to be more like 35-40k, considerably cheaper and at 50k you can definately get a good JDM limited edition like Immy has, plus the R206 "should" have the new Boxer engine (think the R205 has the older one?) and it would have been a better choice even if the JDM's feel slower they are actually more responsive and quicker ;)

Its just ashame that Subaru do not get their emissions lower, if they tried I think they could, VW's group seem to do it quite well on high powered engines (and BMW etc) and thats where Subaru UK have stuffed it, 30k for a hatch puts it over the cost of a performance VW group or BMW car and you wont sell them like that.

Still I'll not buy a UK car whilst they are over priced and cost a packet in road tax (and with that horrid 2.5ltr engine though the new phase engine should be out this year), roll on the 1.6 and lets see if its pushing that 300/300 they say it is ;)

Tony:D

Just thought I'd update this - I've now found the right car for the right money - a 2007 UK WRX STI and will be picking it up tomorrow! Literally cannot wait!

Any issues I should look out for? And how will I tell if there's the 2.5 issue with the engine?

Cheers :)

Just look after it, drive it sympathetically when cold or really hot, and in between rag it as much as you like lol. Keep it properly serviced and use decent fuel. I had mine from new (2006) and have just sold it. In the end it was decatted and mapped (JGM) to 340bhp/380 ftlbs, and never once gave me any grief. I did the ring in it, the journey to and from Germany alone would be a test of reliability!, and I did a couple of track days.The only 2 issues I had with the 2.5 where that it never quite sounded like my old blob and was difficult to get the deep burble from, and despite the nice smooth delivery of power which in the real world is quicker than the 2.0, I actually prefered the late 'bang' of power the 2.0 has, but that is just personal preference.

The JDM is a stronger engine and all round probably a more accomplished car, but, for me scoobs are about the burble, and that the one thing a JDM doesnt do. Screams quite nicely tho!!!

Enjoy your new car.

Daft question, but aren't you limited to 40mph in Guernsey, or am I getting my Channel Islands in a twist?

Anyhow, I hope you manage to get some sleep tonight (I never can prior to the day of purchase), enjoy the new car and post us some photos please.

Yea you are! Jersey's got a 40mph limit. Guernsey's is 35mph haha :(. Still doesn't stop some seriously nice cars from being here though!

Yea not going to be able to sleep tonight, but cannot wait to finally get a Hawkeye :)

Yes there are some of the engines that have gone 'pop' but the same can be said for any Impreza! Please be aware that the majority of people who slag them off have probably never had one and are going off a horror story they read on the Internet posted by someone who may or may not have even experienced it themselves.
I've a 57 plate Hawk Sti, never had any engine problems! The rear shock makes a noise from time to time but the car is now over five years old so things can be expected to develop faults. Take a test drive and decide for yourself.

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/c...hp-atw/1006862

There you go. :)

Great car Norman but 420 bhp at the fly wheel with that spec? Hmmm?

Don't know if I'm wrong or not but wasn't it just the jdm bugs that had forged pistons not the later ones?

hi there i went down the same road got a 2.5 hawkeye sti. dont forget the early ones are just over £250 in tax where as mine (07) is over £500 :(

my engine blew after 6 months was pritty disapointed as it was only exhaust remap and panel filter i changed but forged it now so should be ok.

lovely cars tho and i love it so good luck :)

Over £500? :eek: Mines an 07, but I thought it was £470?
How much will my renewal be at the end of Feb then?

Mines an 07 plate Sti too, pretty sure it was £470ish when I renewed mine (mid last year) - not sure if its gone up again since though (bloody hope not!)

Just to re-iterate - as some people have already said on here. Nothing wrong at all with the 2.5ltr lumps if looked after, had mine for over a year with no problems. I'm at just under 55k and running circa 330-340bhp (Custom remap, full exhaust system with sports cat) All done by Neil @ Slowboy Racing who is brilliant with these.

Good luck with your new car Meakin - pics when you get it please!

to be honest im not sure. i taxed mine about a month ago but couldnt afford to tax it for the year so went with 6 months and was about 260 - 270 cant remember exactly. but when i asked the lady at the desk she said would be 500 or just over. she could be wrong but if she was wont be long till it is the rate tax is going

https://www.gov.uk/vehicle-tax-rate-tables

Scroll down a bit and it's all there. £475 a year, £261.25 for six months.

Picked it up yesterday, really really happy with it! :). Very clean and looks to be well looked after. Also a lot more refined and easier to drive day-to-day than the Evo!

Only got one snap of it at the moment, will get some more once it's been cleaned :).

http://meak.in/evo/scoob.png