John57

I am considering PPP'ing my MY05 WRX Wagon in the next few weeks ......

I have just been out in I think it was an '02 PPP'd WRX putting out 240ps. It was the only one the dealer had and I wanted an idea of how loud the exhaust was.

The exhaust was a bit louder than I expected .... I want the extra boost of the PPP but not too much noise. This may sound like I'm being a bit of a wimp but I have a TVR Griffith for my noisy moods ! Question is has anyone tried running the standard exhaust with the Prodrive ecu ? Can it be done and if so what results in power, etc ?

If I do go the whole way with the PPP can I expect better than the current pick up just before the boost really gets going - it is currently gutless at 2-2,500 rpm ..... does the PPP pack improve it in this area ? The 240ps one I drove seemed a bit better when the engine was left 'to labour' but oddly didn't seem much quicker than my std 05 in a straight line. That said I suppose it is only 15ps difference! The last time I chipped a 200bhp car it added 45bhp at 3,500rpm and flew, pinning the occupants to the seats. The Scooby seemed a bit more refined.

Any comments appreciated.

Gerald-S1

Will still be gutless at 2000rpm. I don't find the exhaust not intrusive at all.

Allan

iTrader: (1)

Personally I don't think you will find the exhaust note a problem at all, definitely not with the windows shut. I would imagine that changing the exhaust would invalidate your warranty, which kind of negates the benefit of going with the PPP.

As above you will need to see at least 2.5K before anything happens.

Allan

abc

PPPing a MY05 will give you ca. 260 bhp, so it will be significantly quicker than standard... Real kick in the pants stuff. I haven't timed mine but Prodrive's comparative 0-60 figures feel right. You should also find the car more tractable because you have more torque available at lower revs -- though as others have pointed out, it only comes alive at 2.5k. Another thing to bear in mind is that the engine is very tight until it's done 4k miles and as has been posted on another thread today, Scoobies only really loosen properly at >10k miles, so if yours has not done much mileage be patient!

The exhaust note is no problem at all, at least not from the noise point of view: the additional inducement to exercise the right foot is another matter! Cruising on motorways you hardly notice the sound, but even then it's pleasant.

You should also find you get better mpg.

Hope this helps.

FLAT ERIC

iTrader: (1)

The PPP increases the 03 WRX's maximum standard torque by 16% to 348Nm @ 3,200rpm.The power also goes from 225PS TO 265PS @ 6,000rpm.



My graph :-



A few PPP related threads :-

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=330449

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=331705

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=345010

http://bbs.scoobynet.co.uk/showthread.php?t=351756

Enjoy your car John.

Mark

ScoobyNoob

Hi,
I've had my WRX PPP'd recently and was a little worried beforehand about how loud the exhaust would be, I didn't want anything extreme. From what I'd read on this forum it didn't seem like it would be a problem and as it turns out, it's great.

It's certainly more noticeable inside the car than the standard exhaust but not to the extent it intrudes on a conversation or you need to turn the stereo up. It's also quite comfortable on a long drive, it's not loud enough to be bothersome and it's easy to tune it out of your hearing. It does turn a few more heads than before but I've never got that 'Christ what a racket' look some of the noiser back boxes elicit.

Personally I think it really adds to the car's character. I wouldn't want anything louder but I wouldn't want to go back!

Steve

dexter

John, hello there from CTRO

Until recently I, too, had a standard MY05 WRX, which I then PPP`d. You will find quite a difference in the added torque and power that the PPP will give you over standard. Mine certainly felt as though the power came in sooner, and there was just more of it, in every gear and every rev-range.

It is steep, at £1600, but if you want to safely preserve your warranty, it`s the only sure way of doing that whilst adding more power.

As for the exhaust note, yes, it is more pronounced, but in a much better way, wouldn`t you agree, as it releases the flat-four burble, but without being too intrusive.

At the end of the day, it`s your call mate, but IMHO, the PPP is worth getting done from a performance and sound point of view.

Now if you aren`t worried about the integrity of the warranty, then I believe you can obtain better performance gains for less money, and if that`s the case, then loads of the lads on here will point you in the most cost-effective direction................

ru'

PPP on 05 WRX:

John57

Thanks for the replies everyone !

The comments are very helpful ..... as are the rr graphs which seem to show it produces roughly as promised. I talked about the power just as it begins to come in - I assume there is a significant difference when the turbo really spins up ..... compared to standard. The 240ps bugeye I drove was - as I said - not really any different to my standard MY05.

I had done a search prior to posting but I must have done it slightly wrong as I hadn't seen the links kindly posted by FLAT ERIC which were helpful.

My car has done 10,500 miles so should be just nicely ready for an upgrade. I just have to think now about insurance implications as my wife uses the car for work (Business use Class 2 - she's a photographer) and it seems insurers don't particularly want a PPP Scooby used this way.....

Best I get on the phone!

Martin2005

A recently PPP'd Bugeye will be as pretty much as powerful as the later model. I had mine done a couple of months ago, I was assured by the dealership that this would add 40bhp, so it should bge nearer 260 than 240bhp.

abc

A lot of people on here have found that Rob and/or Darren at A-Plan are very knowledgeable, helpful and give very competitive quotes. The number is 01635 874646. Check out the insurance threads for more info.

All the best.

John57

abc ..... thanks - I phoned A-Plan a few days ago after seeing some comments on here. Their quote was great ...... unfortunately they won't do business class 2 on the Scooby. There is a way around it by insuring it in the wifes name (and then only requiring class 1 business use which was OK) but then I don't get protected NCB. It's a shame as their quote was best by far.

I have also had a quote through Keith Michaels - £180 dearer than A-Plan but with Norwich Union and I would be able to keep my protected NCB all in my name.

I will check out the insurance threads for some more to ring.....

Martin2005 - the dealer said the one I drove was definitely 240ps only .... maybe it was a slightly earlier one. It definitely didn't feel that quick - but then it did have me (16st), the salesman (bigger than me!) and the wife in it ..... so it was not ideal to check how it went! I really wanted to see how it sounded but was obviously curious as to how it performed compared to my car. To be fair he had warned me it would not be the same as mine if I had it done.... it was me who persisted in wanting to drive it to hear it!

Apple

Another thing to consider is that a newly PPP'd car will be quieter than one that's lost a bit of packing out of the exhaust over time...

I went from std bugeye to WR Sport b/box and it was nice but not OTT. Then had it PPP'd (at 20K miles) and it quietened down again until the b/box was "run in."

Then stepped up to '05 STi std which was quiet again and later had this PPP'd (at approx 3K miles as I wanted the drivability improvements I'd seen on the bugeye). This exhaust is now back to being throaty (at approx 7K miles) but not loud (even though kids turn round to look before you get to them )

I had my bog standard bugeye rolling-roaded at Powerstation and it was bang on the money at 218 bhp - I never got chance to do it post PPP (boost went from 14psig to 17psig) and I'm not planning to have the STi done (boost is 21psig before and after PPP) - I just enjoy the performance without getting into the "mines bigger than yours" pub bragging

Andy

darren...

I know it's not the insurance thread but when I wanted insurance with business use on my PPP'd WRX I found Asda to be far and away the cheapest (with protected NCD). The insurance certificate also makes it clear that it's a modified car (they list the PPP as engine management and exhaust modifcations).

John57

Darren, Asda were cheap but wouldn't mirror my NCB for the Scooby unless they insured my other car .... and their price for that was very ££££. Thanks anyway.

As a little update after reading everyone's replies and thinking on it (for about 5 minutes!) I have ordered the PPP for my WRX and will change insurers once fitted. Both Rob at A-Plan and Gary at Keith Michaels came up with good prices but having used Keith Michaels more recently I will be going back to them.

Once again thanks for the comments.

MikeWood

After a lot of work by Tom Butler at Subaru Insured, you may find that the insurance of cars with a performance package is a fair bit easier now as there is an ABI listing for something like WRX 261bhp and STi 301bhp. These are obviously the power outputs of the PPP cars. I think that Tom may also have negotiated some deals where there is no additional loading for 'Approved Modifications' either.

Mike

abc

Thanks very much for that Mike. As you know, a good number of us on here with PPP (or thinking about it) had been hoping that something like this would happen, so that's really good news. Much gratitude to all those who have heard our concerns and sorted this out. I'll be giving Tom a ring next time I need to get my car insured.

Andrew

John57

Mike,

Thanks - I guess thats why I didn't get hammered when asking for quote including PPP when I approached brokers .... well, at least the ones who knew what it was !

Just out of interest, has anyone actually bought the PPP and not been happy with it ? I don't mean the cost but the actual change in performance it gives .....