chiark

Sometimes this board slags the impreza off for its faults, sometimes we generally have a good bitch, but sometimes we need to be reminded to just get out and drive the things

Yesterday was just brilliant: we went to the forbidden corner (North Yorkshire, near Masham) from Leeds on the A61. To get there, we went to Pool in Wharfedale, then took the leathley road to Harrogate, then ripon, then some random road to Masham, then some more B-roads.

My car (MY00, downpipe, dawes, K&N, geom check, Toyos on 17s, quickshift) really is *just* what I want from it now. Pressing on, it does just what I want it to. No nervy moments, no "ooh shiiiiiit" moments, despite Lyndsy (my wife) saying "put your boot down".

I didn't need to be told twice to "put my boot down"...

I didn't know the road, but was on the "maximum attack" level which is sensible for windy roads that you don't know: ie, give it welly, but make sure you can stop in the distance you can see.

People complain about the brakes. I still have the standard set-up, and they're superb. Had to haul down from 50 after a bend to stop to accomodate a set of walkers and there was no troubles whatsoever. Loads of braking, repeatedly, with no hint of fade. (Only ever had brake fade once, in Milton Keynes )

People say performance isn't as good as X. **** me, whaddaya want? With the dawes tuned up to 16PSI, the car flys all the way to 6k, no drop off in boost, great stuff. Slot another gear, hit the torque surge and off you go headbutting the horizon.

Understeer? I've had geometry set-up and put toyos on, and to be honest the car feels just right.

The thing I absolutely love about this car is that with the performance you can get places fast but in safety. Slowing down for corners so you can stop in the distance isn't a problem because you can get back upto warp 9 when it's safe to do so in a very short space of time. I used to drive my old Fiesta more dangerously than the Impreza when I was pushing on

Had a great day (go to this place, marvellous drive, marvellous fun for all ages) good food in the local pub, then turned around and did it all again at night. PIAAs are a godsend, and the roads were quiet. (Well, until the flat 4 bwaaaaaarp hit the country).

Ok, so these cars aren't perfect. They're expensive to run, noisy, unrefined, unsubtle, but **** me are they a hell of a lot of fun. The mods I've made have been small, cheap and hellishly effective. They've made the car into what I think is a brilliant package. Only thing I'm still tempted by is bumpsteer.

The car got a friendly pat last night and a "well done" after being put into the garage. It deserved it.

I really can't think of another car I'd rather have right now, which for me is absolutely unheard of

I guess the point of this (long) post is "enjoy your car, they're absolutely fantastic "

Nick.

rich uk300

for reminding me

barge

I could not agree more

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

I was planning to have a few beers today while watching the golf and footy but after reading that I may just go out and have a bit of fun in the old scoob

I agree though...........driving into Leeds all week I must get to use the cars power for about 5 seconds a day. You start to wonder why you are putting up with the high running costs..........but then when you get to drive it in the manner described by Nick you remember what it's all about!

Nice write up Nick


Guy

ShAnNo_RB5

Nick,

You've got my vote in the next election!!! Subaru's for all!!!

Except beamer drivers - they're just *ankers! ;0)

Keep it moist...

Shanno

AJbaseBloke

Good one Nick!!

CHRIS_D

here here

chrisp

Went out for a tootle around in mine yesterday and I kept slowing down so I could hear that flat four on full chat .

Came home and wash and waxed it, its an MY00 and still looks good IMHO. After seeing the new MY03 STI I was tempted but now I aint so sure "the old girl done good" . Best car I have ever driven or owned seems a big risk to buy something else and not like it.

Gonna take a few test drives and a lot of persuading to get me to sell it . People at work/friends/family cant believe I am even thinking about selling it .

Sure they have faults but they have attitude

[Edited by chrisp - 9/29/2002 5:20:33 PM]

scooby_si

yeah baby just had a blast following a type R & a RB5 to the "cov area meet" round the twisties & god damn probably the most full on i've slung it round such country lanes just 2 keep up u understand in my MY97 witha few mods zaust, filter, 17"ers on toyos also & quickshift only real performance mods & while i'm sure they felt they had 2 take it easy 2 let me catch up (hey i had a full tank & shed load of sound deadening (2 sell, oops 4got) along 4 the ride. But bugger me it woz good fun even takin it relatively easy when unknown corners approached & slower vehicles needed overtaking but god damn i enjoyed it. Although made me wana clean & paint my newly acquired 4 pots ASAP so i can get rid of the mere 2 pots that kum with da car but even so they still managed 2 stop me quick enuff when needed
Hmm baby i luv my car but soon 2 get a reminder how it aint cheap as insurance due this month ho hum.
Si

Big Goon

I do 800-1000 miles a week in my Type UK all across the south of England, never get tired of the power/noise/handling, not many other cars would hold my attention quite so well (M3+GT2 excluded).

Chris_S199

(Jen using Chris' computer)



Exactly Just went to put mine in the garage, ....via the empty by-pass scattered with chicane type roundabouts

Jen

P1 Enthusiast

Nod, here here.

Even coming back this morning feeling a little 'tender' from the booze was able to remind some twit in a Merc SL320 that sneering at my car and laughing at it was not to be recommended.

Merc went backwards as he tried to floor it past me *he who laughs last, laughs longest*

RB5#295

Gotta disagree. It's been love / hate for me for most of the short time I've owned it and I've now decided it just isn't worth what it costs to run, so it's gotta go.

Fen

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

I have these feelings everyday. Great sensible fun and beaing able to appreciate the abilities of the car, followed by a 20 minute trundle through leeds traffic, thinking christ these things are unrefined. Then at the end of the day its reversed.

I am now on my 3rd scoob so must be hooked

RB5#295

Clutch judder, thirst, mini-cab dashboard, short service intervals, not actually that fast, all my local dealers a complete waste of time (even Alfa were better)... I won't change my mind.

Fen

chrisp

Juddered once in two years for me
yep its no diesel, but is it really that bad any pefromance car is going to mid to late 20s mpg .

They use alsorts of cars as minicabs, I have seen mercedes ones, ford, vauxhalls, fiats, nissan, toyota, peugoets, renaults, skodas, rovers etc etc

Oil change as an interim, them economical diesels use to be 4,500 miles


My RA is pretty nippy


I use only use specialists


Not keen on my local Alfa dealer, never returned phone calls and "couldnt" give me a part ex price on a new GTV


Yep I agree you wont change mine either



[Edited by chrisp - 9/29/2002 9:09:56 PM]

RB5#295

Not trying to change anyone's mind, just expressing my opinion and generating some friendly banter.

My clutch judders serveral times every day, sometimes violently.

I'm quite prepared to pay for fuel if I'm using performance, but if I'm trundling to work in traffic (and I mean dual carriageway / motorway, not 1st gear stop-start) then I expect better, after all there are several cars available now that will sit with a UK Scooby in a straight line and do 35+ at 60-70.

Agreed on the mini-cabs. The Scooby has "worse than mini-cab dashboard".

My '85 911 was faster, did much the same on fuel and had 12,000 intervals. I agree on diesels, but I said the Scoob wasn't worth what it costs to run, not that I'd turned into an oil-burning freak.

I only wanted to buy a boot liner (tried 2 dealers, neither have got me it) a new graphic for the boot as mine has faded (2 dealers, 1 FOUR times, and they never call back) and a price for a Prodrive wing (1 dealer 3 times). Utterly hopeless but not something independents can help with (wing excepted).

I should flippin' well hope your RA would be nippy.

Fen


[Edited by RB5#295 - 9/29/2002 9:36:11 PM]

RB5#295

edited to remove double post

[Edited by RB5#295 - 9/29/2002 9:32:21 PM]

chrisp

Yep fair enough that would upset me as well . If it makes you feel any better my UK 98 had clutch judder from new and seem to be developing piston slap I was going to get it fixed under warranty but brought the RA. I think the RA has a stronger clutch and has done it once to me brought back bad memories though .

Fuel in my UK was about 23mph the RA is about 19-20mpg. I dont commute with it though so economy isnt a real issue. I only do a few hundred pleasure miles a month. My dads Mondeo V6 only does 24mpg round town though.

Good luck with your new car

chris

Flat4-Chris

Nick,

Couldn't agree more, took my scoob out into Derbys/Staffs yesderday after a week of push-biking it to work (cos of the bl**dy road works in Nottm).

Had a great blast, almost forgotten what it was like. The constant surge as you wind up the rpm, change gear and it keeps on going.

Add to that the back windows down bwaaaaaaarrrrp. Reminds me why I bought it in the first place.

Chris.

RB5#295

My clutch didn't judder at all when I bought the car (I used to read about it and think I was lucky), so it's getting much worse after 12,500 miles.

I do roughly 1,000 miles a week and my company pays the same mileage allowance no matter what I drive so economy makes a big difference to me, and an import would be a total PITA for me. As it is I have to subsidise running the Scooby for work and I just don't get enough back from it to keep doing that happily.

Fen

gregh

Take it you enjoyed the forbidden corner then

I did the same drive in the Westie on a great hot n sunny day

Greg

STi wanna Subaru

iTrader: (1)

Flat4-Chris,
Back windows down!! You Sad Bast*rd!!...............well that's what my mates tell me when I do the same

akshay67

very emotional...

chiark

Yes, it was emotional . I think with all the slagging off the cars get (sometimes deservedly, especially in Fen's case) a sense of realism needs to be portrayed

I get clutch judder occasionally, and like Steve (P20SPD) I crawl through Leeds traffic thinking "what's the point"? I guess I'd not realised just how good the car was for quite a while.

Makes a change from me being a miserable sarcastic swine

Nick.

R.B.5

Nick,

Well said mate! I totally agree with your point of view and have been thinking exactly the same as you these last few days. I spent the whole day yesterday giving the car the wax wizard treatment and boy does she look smart!

I have exactly the same mods as you and i too think the cars fab. Wouldn't change it for the world now (perhaps for a skyline ). Did you notice that the turbo makes more of a psssssss noise now you have the dawes on? I'm running mine just under fuel cut approx 17 psi.

Took my VTA dump valve off the car last night and put standard back on. Shes much smoother now on lift off and generally runs better, i'll be getting a Re-circ next time!

Anyway glad to see someone else enjoying their scooby!

chiark

Not noticed any more psssssssss noises really, but the K&N and downpipe means it's already, ah, "quite vocal" . I guess there might be a bit more "psssss" because of the bleed hole - the air's got to go somewhere

I'm still running "just" 16PSI as I want to check fuelling - spent an hour yesterday building a DIY AFR (cost? About 7 quid...) and just need to install that now before I tinker any more.

I'm gobsmacked by the effectiveness of the dawes. Whether the DP and induction is helping out more I just don't know, but the car is absolutely spot on.

Although I can now see why the quest for power becomes addictive. This is a slippery slope ...

cheers,
Nick.

wacky.banana

RB5, YHM!

P20SPD

iTrader: (1)

nick, i will have to take you out in mine when she is fully mapped. Only 20 days to go

Leeds was dead easy this morning and being able to power out of the roundabouts without the fear of stationary traffic ahead was excellent. It would at 5am though wouldnt it

chiark

I have my brown trousers and bicycle clips at the ready