New Car Choice
 

As some of you will already be aware I have all but sold the S202 to a very nice buyer, it is only being busy and on call at work at the moment which has delayed the sale from being completed.

After having driven the S202 yesterday on the Mid Wales run I have to say it's a great car, it is very very raw to put it mildly compared to many more modern models but it is all the greater for it.

But as with most things I do tend to get every so slightly bored with the status quo, plus I would like a few more comforts whilst also being more practical as well.

I did have my mind made up on a Forester STi but also came across a Hatchback STi at a very good price, so as it's newer, more refined and a better driver's car I went for the Hatchback STi.

I do plan some modifications to personalise it myself, these being:

Genuine STi Alternative Front Grille

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MjEwWDI2NQ...Tnvv~/$_35.JPGhttp://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA...TpBDJ/$_12.JPG

Revolution Catback Exhaust System

http://www.revolution247.com/cachedi...1-e100d4bb054f

R205 Rear Diffuser And Exhaust Finishing Trims (image borrowed from another member)

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...psue4tztuc.jpg

R205 Carbon Fibre Wing Badges

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MjI1WDMwMA...TsewL/$_35.JPG

Prodrive GT2 Alloy Wheels

http://pro-r.co.uk/show_image/131539...resize_image=0

Plus of course given the reputation of the 2.5 I will also be getting the car remapped on an Ecutek Race Rom remap, and I will also be giving the car a forged engine rebuild at some future point (probably over the winter funds permitting). :)

Oh and the car is blue of course. ;)

A good choice, They've grown on me over the years and I wouldn't turn one down. Forging the engine is a smart move. Not that keen on the blue though but the dark alloys will look nice.

I might get one when the time comes to replace the foggy, but I'm loving it to much at the moment. Best all round subaru I've had

This.
Ty have a word with yourself, to coin your own phrase "Stop talking and listen!"

Have to disagree, I had a foggy STB and while they are a good car they are left somewhat wanting when it comes to pushing on a little, I'm sure the more modern STI variants are a little better but you can't get away from the higher centre of gravity, which is why I've ended up with what I feel is the best of both worlds, WRX Wagon PPP with some light handling mods, (springs and bushes) and AP4 pots, has enough power to be entertaining when i'm in the mood yet comfortable and practical on a day to day basis. I know it's not the most powerful subaru around but it behaves well enough on the road, has enough mid range pull and stops as it should with no fade.

As you know better than most Ty you can spend a fortune on these cars and still have someone like me in a sh!t box £4k WRX sat on your bumper through the twisty bits and beyond sensible speeds.

I think your making the right choice, your obviously a bit of a driver based on your car history and I think you'd be in and out of a fozzy way faster than your previous cars as they're just not focused enough, not that my WRX is that focused but it does have the edge when driven hard.

Not taking anything away from the forester because I think they are great and even like the looks, they're just a bit boaty when you kick your heels and try and stand it on it's nose.

Bare in mind my other car is an STI Type R and i'm 48 so grew up with crap brakes, sloppy suspension and rear wheel drive. :D

I could seriously get interested in a white Sti hatch but the £500 a year road tax kills it stone dead :cry:

Hope it works out for you but I still think the S202 was a keeper.

And this!

The newer STI's are in another league over the older STB's. It's basically a Newage STI with the Forester body and mix in a spec c interior. Mine has coil overs and pretty much every body brace available and out handles my old Newage STI by miles, infact it's alot quicker over my route to work:lol1:

The cabin is also much nicer and the seating position is perfect. Add to the fact you have a massive boot and it ticks all the boxes.

I too have had a few impreza: Modded Uk turbo, Type Ra, Massive spec Type R and a Newage STI and prefer the FSTI by a long shot.

+ they keep there value, in fact they seem to be on the increase, The asking price's seem to keep going up.

I knew you wouldn't keep it quiet for long, what are we gonna do with you? :-D

If I hadn't of had the chance of the Hatchback then I would have gone down the Forester STi path as I had planned to do.

I have no doubt that I would have been very happy with the Forester indeed, but I just like the Hatch STi more. :)

;)

White is very nice indeed Kev, but the blue is surprisingly enough not a run of the mill colour in the Hatch STi as the colour choice is a lot more varied.

I do see where you are coming from with the RFL but with the option in the very near future to tax the car for as long as you want, or even monthly then that is not that much of a concern anymore.

The S202 is a great car no doubt of that but I just want something a little more practical, easier to use as a 'normal' car and with some creature comforts. :)

I have been know to throw cars around a little for fun, just like yesterday - the S202 was a great car on the run through Mid Wales that I organised but as it's such a 'purposeful' car I was absolutely shattered mentally and physically by the time I got home.

It is surprising the difference a little sound proofing can make, without you literally hear every last noise in and around the car, great as it all adds to the drama but some ear plugs would have been nice yesterday as well. :lol1:

Some already knew Rob, I did mention the change at the last meet. :)

No problem Ian, I totally get where you are coming from and I thank you for being my conscience but the deal on the sale and the purchase is already done. :notworthy

:brickwall:brickwall:brickwall:brickwall:brickwall

Is it coming to the Euro Trip?

I am not 100% sure on the Euro Trip Ian at present, I will have a better idea in the next fortnight or so - circumstances might conspire against me but I will do my best to be in attendance. :)

This. Feck knows what ditchys on about.
They are good in standard form and with a few handling mods I can only imagine.

Ah ty, you've gone totally elsewhere :D you and your bloody cars.

Do the fsti still have the hg issues as I haven't noticed a thread on here of it (mind probably on forester forums)
I'm a bit dubious of the 2.5 if I'm honest but a very capable bus. Also I need to get past it's looks otherwise I would be tempted.
So only them 2 downfalls for me, otherwise a fantastic estate.

Anyone know the diffrences to the pre facelift and facelift ones apart from the obvious light clusters.

Looking at what you got planned style wise Ty it's going to look very nice indeed and wouldn't expect anything else, personally I think a Gold rim would suit a Blue car better but I love a Gold wheel on a Subaru anyway. Be nice to drool over another STI Hatch as I do miss seeing Andy Leonards at the meets, if I had the money that car would of been parked in my garage now.

My FSTi was a Litcho 330/330 with STi Shocks, springs and Whiteline ARBs, ZERO Sport induction and was a brute. I sold it with 35k on the clock, it got gassed and went past 100k without breaking sweat.

Facelift on the front with lights and a bit of trim. The Tax hike was also just in time FFS!

It was for sale on PH up Shrewsbury way a while ago.

Wow Ty you might as well just become a car sales man as you bought and sold more cars than I have had cooked dinners lol

Here we go again ..................:brickwall

Oh Ty if you do manage to find a nice set of 19 ' s give me a shout please :thumb:

I just bought a pair of the black sti badges £45 delivered from Japan

My saloon is currently in K.P 's with issues , hopefully not too expensive :cry:

Thanks Jay, yes gold wheels do suit a blue car but I also like a dark anthracite or gunmetal as well. :thumb:

If I became a car salesman then I would be broke, and living in a cardboard box. :lol1:

Well I think the Prodrive GT2 19" rims are nice myself, I think the angular lines suit the lines of the body, what type of rim are you looking for Geraint?

Can you also let me have the details of where you got the badges from? About the best price I have found so far is around £54 from the USA. :)

Hopefully the repair will be inexpensive, is your car out of warranty now?

So you've slammed it and braced it to make it handle like an Impreza, which basically proves my point and backs up what I was saying.


Totally agree, mine had leather and armrests which were nice for relaxing on a long run. I don't think the boot is any bigger than my Wagon except for the longer roof line as the floor pan is the same.

I'm the same with my Wagon over my previous Subarus by far the best daily driver.

The Wagon's not doing too bad price wise either, I'd still get circa £3k minus the AP's, I paid £4k with them on the car 3yrs ago.:D

That's pretty much how I feel about my Type R, great car and loads of fun but a little too full on and not in the least bit practical as a daily car.

I was just being objective, you of all people should know what i'm talking about as you've had a very nicely modded Wagon but as you've said previously it wasn't big enough for you. I don't need a big estate as I have a T4 Transporter syncro crew cab pick up which takes care of any serious load lugging, but I do need a daily that is practical, I could probably live with a Fiesta ST or a Clio Cup on a day to day basis 90% of the time but I like a slightly bigger car and to be able to straighten my legs on a long run, being just shy of 6 foot and having slightly dodgy knees i'm like a cripple after a while in a small car.

I'd probably have a forged Hatch STI myself now but my funds are directed elsewhere at the moment, so I run the car that best suits my budget and needs whilst still being able to have a bit of fun when the mood takes me and get past the ever increasing number of donkeys on the road with the minimum of fuss whilst keeping me in relative comfort and not requiring dentures or a kidney transplant because of doing so.

Fozzy STI is no doubt a great car but i'm not a "modder" and the thought of throwing circa £3k at a £10k car to make it handle close to my £3k car has no bearing in logic for me personally. Nothing against those that do it, it's just horses for courses, Fozzy is a bit too high and a tad on the boaty side for me and as above they need a few quid throwing at them to get them handling like an Impreza, so I just bought an Impreza.;)

I'm getting old in my wise age. :D

Luxury!

;)

Well i agree with what Danny said he bought his modded mine is standard and no need to change car does everything i want .Also i have had 3 imprezers they where great to

Did Fud buy it ? :D

Well if he did then it would have been the second time recently that he had. :rolleyes: :lol1:

It is not a daily driver and never will be, I just crave some comfort when taking the car out for a drive, after nigh on 7 hours in the driver's seat on the day I was at the point of collapse when I got home. :brickwall

Well it would be, but I would probably have to get it on a time share. :lol1:

I agree the Forester STi is a great car, it's just that I wanted a Hatchback STi more. :)

The impreza boot floor pan was not that bad, but overall size of it just wasn't a family car to fit a pram in sideways and a medium size dog, plus with the mods I done, it wasn't really suitable as a family car (my wife said :cuckoo:) plus I had it long enough (over 2 years) normally changed every year.
The audi a4 for me is an ok family car that suits with plenty of creature comforts, but I'm keeping an eye out for a legacy tbsti as the audi has something missing :D
And no weekend toys left Im Even more bored

Funny you say that as I found the A4 estate a bit small inside compared to the external dimensions, also the ESP / traction control was a pita, as soon as you drive it a bit hard the electronics start to kick in, which I find VERY irritating. In the end I went for a Passat estate with all the toys, it being based on the A6 chassis was a fair bit bigger inside but overall not much bigger than the A4. Was boring as hell though and nothing but trouble in the 6 months I owned it so traded it for a new Impreza WRX in 04 and never looked back, best thing about it was I traded it for £2k more than I paid so made a £500 profit after all the work I had done on it.:D

It's a b8, the b7s were smaller inside for rear passengers apparently.
The Quattro in these are a peach, no esp issues whatsoever, the stronic 7 speed box is sweet also. There's nothing rubbish about it really, just the driver enjoyment you get from a jap car.