scoobienoobie01

Hi all

I'm new to the world of scoobys but find myself unnaturally drawn to them... I've done a LOT of research and have narrowed my search down to a JDMI STI Blob. Blob over Hawk purely for looks.

I have found a couple of good ones for similar prices, one is a lower mileage JDM STI Blob, the other a higher mileage JDM STI Blob Spec C limited.

I tested drove a JDM STI Hawk and actually find it very sedate, it was stock so very quiet and dare I say it, a bit dull at lower speeds. It didn't feel at all harsh in any aspect as I expected.

The rawness and special nature of the Spec C is appealing but will it be a pain to use in the real world? It also doesn't have the iconic look given the smaller spoiler and lack of side trim but I kind of like its understated nature. I also think it might be harder to sell as its more specialised?

The other I can get with lower miles, it was a more iconic look and is probably a safer bet for resale.

I should add that I only drive for pleasure and don't need 4 seats or a usable boot. Also any car purchase I make has to be economically sound so sellability is a key criteria.

Would appreciate the views of scooby veterans!

JdmSti2006

for me spec c is worth 3k above jdm sti
nothing special tbh ,its raw as there is less sound deadening
lighter by approx 70 kg ,You can take jdm sti to similar weight.
both comes with 2.5" exhaust, needs 3" decat on both to make them sound
better turbo on spec c vf36 than vf37
thinner paint on spec c would say its not a bonus at all
smaller battery on spec c ,yes its lighter but on occasional driving will be dead within 2 weeks in storage
engine oil cooler and and transmission oil cooler is a bonus( on jdm sti there is a place on oem gearbox where You can refit original cooler and for example put bigger new aftermarket engine cooler )
had similar issue few years back and i bough jdm hawk with roof flap fitted
not sure but think widetrack spec c has better suspension( as jdm hawk ) than jdm widetrack blob
dccd settings are better for some on widetrack jdm spec c than on hawk but thats for track driving and others could say opposite
not sure about engine and heads on spec c vs jdm blob vs jdm hawk
I was looking for one with some mods and found one with 56k miles and bigger brakes,18" wheels,deffis, 3 " exahust,suspension,engine monuts ,sway bars,drop links bigger new fuel pump ,remap, ht autos sills extensions, front splitter ,mud flaps etc
and front mount-thats not a bonus on mine.
Buy fresh import if its the one like mine or type20 type25 it will be already rusty in a need of some work.
I paid 12k but parts listed above were fresh(apart whiteline sway bars) less than 1y old. It needs some work,already with AT to sort few rust
issues. Not for full service like from a link ,not needed yet but it will need it like most of imprezas. https://www.scoobynet.com/scoobynet-...-services.html

The Joshua Tree

I can't comment on a blob v a Hawk but i have 2 Sti hatchbacks, one is a modified 2.5 UK hatch and the other is the JDM 2.0 twin scroll.

To me the JDM feels soulless compared to the UK 2.5, what i mean by that is the 2.0 litre JDM Twin scroll is just too quiet, it has no distinctive sound and doesn't feel like a Subaru, it's like it could be any hatchback on the road. The power delivery of the 2.0 litre twin scroll feels too modern and smooth if that makes sense, it doesn't feel like a road going version of a rally car where as the UK 2.5 does, if that were me i'd go for as much rawness as you can get as for me that's a big part of the Subaru experience because at the end of the day its a road going version of a rally car.

JdmSti2006

newage wrx is more raw than any oem hatch btw😉
UK 2.5l is a petrol version of diesel
on hatch jdm sti 8k redline alone makes it more raw than uk hatch but yes it needs exhaust ,not sure but Yours UK one has aftermarket exhaust? And an issue with limited 20th anniversary jdm hatch sti is it will worth less when You mod it hence oem exhaust.
Mine hawk had 3" rcm exhaust and believe me raw feelings were equal to my previous UK blob with full 3" decat Invidia n1 but jdm comes with cherry on top -8k redline.

adam.pah

The main difference I found between driving a JDM Hawk and my Spec C is the gearing. The short ratio box makes it feel much quicker and the weight saving does make a difference (1560kgs vs 1380kgs) but if you do lots of motorway driving then a spec c isn't ideal though. I have 2 spec c's, one standard and one slightly modified and I much prefer driving the modified one. It has HKS headers, sports cat and intake and it is much more responsive and holds boost better than the standard car. In my opinion (and probably not shared by everyone on here) the spec c is the best driving Impreza for balancing the rawness with drivability. Classics feel a bit too raw and hatches a bit too refined in comparison (comparing a classic STi RA and hatch spec c).

What's your budget as I will be looking to sell one of my spec c's although not advertised at the moment. If you lived closer, I'd have been happy to take you out in both of mine for you to compare.

scoobienoobie01

Thanks for the info, I will only be driving for pleasure so motorway driving isn't an issue.

How 'raw' would you say it is compared to a standard JDM STI? The only non-C spec didn't seem at all raw to me so I think me tolerance for rawness must be high!

Budget is about £15k max really.

Would be interested in more details of yours if you want to PM me.

adam.pah

The spec c feels more akin to an evo 6 if you've ever driven one of those. It's definitely more raw than a standard STi, there's no sound deadening, thinner glass and an alloy roof so it's much noisier for a start.
£15k won't get you much when it comes to a spec c. That said, Tom at Sprinting Hare JDM has a widetrack spec c for sale at the moment for just a bit more than that and it's a rust free fresh import.

JdmSti2006

what ? jdm hawk weights 1470kg .
Newest sti 2015< weights 1560kg
Yours is RA lighter than spec c ,doubt spec c has thinner glass etc.
c has alloy boot lid
What You mean by short ratio gears?
jdm hawk has same gearbox ratio as spec c ,maybe Yours C ra has someting different but i doubt.
Diffs on 03 spec c and dccd settings in % are different than on hawk think 05 spec c has the same diffs and dccd but not sure.
think 05 spec c limited is in weight closer to hawk with electric mirrors and other comfort parts plus it comes with bigger IC water tank

adam.pah

Sorry, I should have been clearer in my comments. The in service weight of my RA is 1380kgs. This is the weight of the car with all consumables to run (oil, coolant, fuel, etc.). Earlier spec c’s (non-widetrack) vary depending on spec but drop down to 1350kgs in standard form, the RA and limited versions are slightly heavier due to air con and electric windows as you say. I do not know the unladen weight for a spec c for comparison. I also don’t have evidence of the in service weight of a JDM STi but I do have it for a UK STi and it is 1545kgs (a little lower than I previously stated, I should have checked first, my memory isn’t what it used to be). I wouldn’t have thought a JDM car is significantly different.

My RA is just a derivative of a standard spec c, albeit a widetrack version, all spec c’s share the same weight reduction which includes:
alloy bonnet, roof, boot lid
no side skirts
no sound deadening
30% thinner glass
no climate control
lightweight battery
smaller washer reservoir
smaller fuel tank
no interior trim in boot
thinner carpet
manual wing mirrors and windows
no radio as standard

Surprisingly the differentials on both variants are the same clutch type. Subaru changed to a torsen diff on ‘07 I believe. One of my RAs has a cusco rear diff but that doesn’t change the ratios. Both of my cars have shorter gearing than either the blob or hawk JDM cars that I have driven based purely on my experience of driving them. I compared them side by side at Snetterton back in July and a 4th gear corner in the RA became a 3rd gear in the hawk at the same speed. Interestingly, when I asked Google about the ratios the ‘evidence’ suggests they are indeed the same but there is nothing official that I can find and my real world experience contradicts that. On the motorway the car sits around 3500rpm at 70mph. The turbo also behaves a little differently with the VF36 spooling like a maniac while the VF37 takes a little longer to pick up but then hits a bit harder. They do feel quite different to drive.

If you want a fast and comparatively comfortable car then I would go for a standard STi (JDM preferably). If you want to feel like you’re in a homologation special (think noisy, stiff, uncompromising) then the spec c is for you.

The spec c is a faster car but there is a price to pay in general comfort. I love the spec c as a fun, occasional car and it suits what I use it for. If I was looking for a daily driver I would probably go for the STi though which is still a raw car to drive compared to modern rivals.