So i have a 2.1 freshly built engine from engine tuner making a healthy 470 bhp in my uk blob sti non widetrack which iv owned for many years now. I find myself driving the car less and less and most of the time its on the road it because its on the way to or from a trackday! Im the second owner from new and the car has just shy of 65k miles on the clock
i really love the idea of stripping the car out and making it a track car (road legal one of course) but in doing so by removing the sound deadening etc id say it will be irreversible to go back to standard however im worried the value of the car will be diminished after doing so?
Or do i keep it as a fast road car with a full interior just to keep the value in it?
im torn between making it a track car or keeping the value of the car!! Do stripped out track examples fetch less money nowadays than the full interior equivalent?
any input is much appreciated!

 

personalty i think this would devalue the car, it then means if you sell the car it is only aimed at people looking to buy a track car.

could you keep the parts to put it back ?

 

Iv thought the same ie keep parts to put it back to standard but one of my close friends has track car he stripped himself and mentioned even if he kept all the parts and tried to put it back to standard it would just never be the same. Such a shame its set up for the track in every department apart from it carrying full interior 😫

 

Ir will devalue and make it abis less desirable if you came to sell it.
But that can go the other way too and some one who wants it for the same reasons you have won’t care,

by stripped how stripped if you just mean carpets seats door cards liners then it will go back together easily

Dash window regs electrics wiring cut etc then it’s a bit harder.
it will go back together and be the same as it was unless you start breaking stuff whilst taking it out.
If your chasing rimes and trying to get them down by very little then it’s worth doing but I think except for front seats you’d be shocked by the weight your saving as in it’s not a great deal.

 

Why do you need to “strip it” if your doing track days?

 

i do track days 4-5 times a year and i could improve how the car feels on the track.

 

My 2p...

I have removed the rear seats from previous cars. I don't think it felt any different to drive as they weigh **** all but the noise difference is quite substantial. I do like the noise but i wouldn't expect any noticeable performance gain. Why not try that first and see how you get on with it? If you want to continue after that you can. If you don't like it or don't notice much difference then put them back

 

Unless you are removing 100’s of kilos. Like a race car it’s not worth ruining your car over, more importantly it will makes sod all difference .
I go to track days in my full weight e46 m3 and see loads of cars with their back seats removed all of a sudden it’s a track car.

 

looks like it’s pointing towards the cars value dropping and making it that bit harder to sell in the future along with it not making that much of a difference in weight savings. Think il keep the interior
thanks guys!

 

I wouldn't use an Impreza as a track car, go buy yourself a cheap clio or something like 172, then you can strip it and do as you wish.