My new Blobeye's clutch is very stiff, and the biting point seems to be very high. I'm thinking it's time for replacement but wanted to check I'm not being paranoid.

Could also do with a bit less effort required to change gear. The guy I got the car from said it had a "shot shift gearbox", which I presume actually means there's a short shift kit fitted. It's a bit uncomfortable for a daily driver methinks.

Could I get the shift mechanism from an STi as an inbetween?

Also, I've noticed that the steering is very light. Is that normal?

 

On the clutch front I think high bite is fairly normal on an impreza. If its not slipping/juddering then probably ok.

 

had a new exedy clutch fitted last year and still as heavy as old one but no slip now lol

 

My Hawk STi wasn't anything like this, so I found it slightly odd.

I'll be towing an MR2 Roadster at the weekend so will know then I guess! Doesn't slip under normal load though.

 

When I had clutch fitted the mechanic took the pipe off the slave (he had a blonde moment) so clutch needed bleeding which took a while to do so and I still had to go back the next day for him to bleed it more because the clutch was almost dragging (pulling me forward whilst in gear) with clutch pedal pressed to the floor. I know yours is high but might still be air lock bleeding issue.
The clutch is and has always been much stiffer than pretty much any other car I've driven,can't quote on a hawk sti I haven't driven one.
Also the steering is fairly light on my wrx blob too.maybe different type of rack & pump design between hawk sti and blob wrx? Perhaps sti hawk has progressive ps??

 

I asked this question to my local dealer mechanic ages ago and they told me it is because the impreza has a pull clutch rather than the traditional push clutch which is why it feels hard work......I can't confirm that is why but that is what I was told

 

Could possibly be why pedal is stiff,have you ever tried to move the clutch fork by hand on a pull type? I couldn't move it even with a spanner on it for leavage. I Suppose if the hawk sti uses push type then this could be the answer!