Blooscoob

Popeye,
When can Bert fit me in? I take it the quoted price is ex VAT and components?
Sounds a bargain.
Blooscoob

[Edited by Blooscoob - 5/4/2002 1:50:53 PM]

Caronte

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Neil Smalley

Define best?

Which is best for an individual might be second or even third best for someone else.

For example TSL might be the 'best' for someone living around notts, but a non starter for someone living in Plymouth.

Hanslow

Agree with Neil, best is a personal opinion and to be honest, we don't want to start a slanging match on here.

Try one, if you don't get good service from them, try a different one. They're all enthusiasts, and that is not a bad thing for us end users

All the ones I have dealt with have been happy to part with information, even if it meant I didn't buy something. That sort of honesty makes me go back to them

Caronte

not exactly what i was looking for. Opinions. just opinions. not fight. opinions.

Hanslow

Caronte,

Opinions will undoubtedly turn into a war of words / dealers

You should be able to use any of the ones bantered about on here without much hassle. I don't want to give a list cos I will only miss one out and upset them

I've only dealt with some in the midlands area. I haven't even dealt with Scoobysport personally (although I have a SS exhaust through a different dealer) so I couldn't actually say if they were good or bad personally. So, they wouldn't be in my list, but that doesn't make them a bad dealer

Just look at some of the threads that started out with a is car X better than the impreza and they just turn into slanging matches even though they start out purely objective.

If you are looking for a supplier near you and don't know whether to use them, you would be better posting something asking if anyone had any trouble with dealer X as you would like to use them.

Why do you want a list of preferred suppliers anyway?

HKSubaru

well either way... chapelgate- bournemouth is quite good
southampton- crap service, rude.

PopeyeP1

hi there Guys. In my opinion my mate Bert is the best. Superb service (900 pounds plus any tweaks) and hes had 10 years in the Rallying business. Used to Rally Ford Cortinas in the olden days of WRC. HAs some hilarious stories to tell you aswell while you're car gets the full treatment. Just give us a shout if you want his number. Remember you're car deserves the best.
Hope this helps you're friend Pops

Caronte

Hanslow, I want to explain.

From my relative experience in the car sector that has begun approx 10 years ago I've seen many different approaches to business. I have to admit that in my native country ( Italy) I managed to learn how to identify people who work for passion (many) and people who just sell their product (many). Since I arrived in your beautiful country I found the thing a little bit more difficult than before. Once the differece was easily spottable: the people who had a racing heritage were better (and not necessary more expensive) whereas the "sellers" were there just to make profit.
Here in England things are different. Sellers apparently are the most quoted (in this case I would like to underline that the word sellers is just referring to markering issues). Contrary I still haven't found a racing team / garage that prepares both cars for racing and road performance.
That's why I created this thread: I wanted to have your opinions that are the best way to learn.
Please forgive me if I'm still on the weong path of understanding.
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers C.

Hanslow

No problems dude

I'm not sure about other places, but I do know that TSL (they have a banner add on here) in Nottingham (on my doorstep ) have prepared and used to rally an impreza (it's on their website, and I've seen the pics and the car ). I can't speak for the rest of the suppliers as it has not cropped up in conversation.

As I've said before though, if you are after some info first, give any of them a call and gauge their knowledge and helpfulness over the phone with the answers they give. They all know a lot about the cars being enthusiasts first over sales people (that's the impression I get anyway )

Best of luck with your enquiries

Trucker Ted

Surely,the best specialists for the impreza would have to be Prodrive.

Think the've even got a couple of W.R.C championships under their belts

peccy

have my scooby serviced at Montys Subaru - SHEFFIELD, did a good job, 5w/40w mobil and the car came out looking like new - exterior, interior and engine spotless too.

the only other place i been too is TSL for any specialist parts / work etc. and they seem to know a thing or two about scoobys too.

ptholt

This is down to so many factors its impossible for it to hold down any real weight imo, I might go to somewhere and think there great, but someone else will have had a mare there.
Its happened lots of times sadly.

In y 3 years of scoob ownership its sad to report there isn't any one place i would recommend as being the best overall, theres several i would never go to again, but at the end of the day they all have to make a living and in my experience this seems to override any intentions to provide good customer service,customer loyalty and in some cases friendship.

If anyone has any suggestions of places to go i'll happily try them, but so far i seem to be looking for the motoring equivalent of hens teeth.

Maybe i should open my own place and treat people how i expect to be treated, i reckon it would be very popular as i know from talking to friends on and off this board that a large group of us are diaspointed and disillusioned with many so called speciallists.

Just so say, this is not a dig at any one company or anything, just a generalisation at the industry as a whole.

PopeyeP1

Hi Blooscoob, I'll have to ring the busy man. You usually have to wait around six weeks for the service. Just shows how busy what a wanted guy he is. 900 pounds WITHOUT VAT and to INCLUDE parts? Are we on Planet earth-hehehe?? Anyway you know being a Scooby driver you're car does deserve the finest treatment!! Oh i forgot to mention he valets the car and cleans it in the price!!! VIP treatment eh?? Anyway let us know when you want me to book her majesty in.
You're helpful mukka POPS

CraigH

In my experience and I'll restate that it is mine only, there are very very few companies in the UK that know an Impreza inside out.

A few specialise in things and are good in that area - unfortunately a lot jump on the current "latest trends" bandwagon and get involved in things they know nothing about, resulting in either very poor results or perhaps worse.

There is a massive misconception that certain high profile Scoob "specialists" know everything about everything, but in reality know very little.

Have been tinkering for 5 years on Scoobs and have been burnt by quite a few companies reckoning they have the skills to do a particular job - and they don't - and everyday you see complete b0llox spouted by these companies or by new companies. Too many release products without any R&D whatsoever - and if you knew the companies that did this you would most likely be shocked.

Then of course there are the companies that have "vast experience" in products, when in fact they are simply jumping on the bandwagon again, with no knowledge about anything they're selling - working off other peoples efforts - leeches I guess.

Think about this.

Who are TRULY knowledgeable in the Scoob mechanics. The ECU, fault finding, diagnostics, tuning (proper not bolt on), mapping, fuelling, etc etc.

How many have you come up with and how many are actually pertaining to have this knowledge?

Think there will be a big gap between the 2.

If you want any more info mail me

Not being negative, just being realistic and making comments based on experience.

Deep Singh

Agree with CraigH.I've had experience with a number of Scooby specialists and though nice people most of them have massive gaps in their knowledge.The scariest thing is when I discover one of these specialists does'nt know something that I know! To qualify this I d'ont know a piston from a crank!!
Here is just one story(of many).Had a strange knocking noise from the rear of my car.Took it to one of the highly regarded outfits that advertise here told me it was a spent rear diff,£750 for a recon one(exc labour).I asked them to recheck as such an expensive part and they did and confirmed.Showed a mate (Ford car mechanic) found some loose trim inside.double sided tape problem solved.Absolutely nothing wrong with my rear diff!!!
Another who advertises on this bbs told me the cat in midsection has burnt out.I said the mid does'nt have a cat on my particualar MY of car.They convinced me otherwise,showed the car to Steve Lawson who took of the exhaust and confirmed NO CAT.They just could'nt tune my car properly.Both of these outfits would be considered in the top 5.
Another(who everybody seems to shower praises on on this bbs) blatantly lied to me about my rights regarding cancelling a credit card order I had placed with him a few days earlier.Until of course I quoted the Law that applies to it and saved myself £1000.He also suddenly stopped using the word mate after every sentence then.(He also advertises on here)
Personally I really trust no one anymore.Only two people I have good faith in one is a tuner whose name I w'ont mention as it will look as though I'm **** licking and the other is Steve Lawson(RIP!)
And before anybody gets arsey I have given no indication as to who I am talking about.

David_Wallis

I wouldnt use anybody on here to be honest with you... Ive heard good things and bad things about everyone, that will allways be the case... You cant be perfect...

The best way is if your not 'tuning' your car and your just bolting things on then buy them and do it yourself!

I will be paying someone to tune my car when its finished.. but it will be a very small backstreet company in batley with a rolling road.. (and its not well lane!)

David

Trout...

Caronte - what is it that you actually want to know....

...who is best for engine builds, or perhaps gearbox, or is it best brakes, or trim or ECU remapping (which one), or head porting, or drivetrain assembly.....

Even those with the best reputations on here don't know it all, either through ignorance, lack of wit, or worst, dogmatism. Having said that there some people who are brilliant at the above - but very, very few if any who can put a whole car together as a tuning package. That includes the Prodrive guys - a lot of what they do is subcontracted to specialists - they focus on what they do best - engineering the final package. And to be fair - making a winning rally car has so little to do with what we drive as to be entirely irrelevant!

Trout

PS I do my own stuff - good, bad, indifferent - who knows - but it seems to work and I enjoy (especially when my water systems don't break down!)

dfullerton

Know where your coming from Deep

Caronte

Trout , let's put it in the simple way.

Who would you contact if you wanted to prepare your impreza for rallying?

mail me if you want.

C.

chuckster

If I wanted to prep for rally I'd call Barrats Motorsport in Kent. Mainly because I've had a few frds go down there for gearbox builds etc, and they run a scoob in the Brit championships...
Chuck

Harry Potter

Deep sigh.............

I have experienced parts and/or labour from:

ScoobySport, PowerEngineering, Scoobymania, Mark Shead, Warren Heath, Blue mousie, Manchester Subaru (too far away to go back).
I have been to Power Station for anti bumpy steering and was very impressed by that mod.

I now rely on Bob Rawle for maping and Barrattes MotorSport for servicing.

Of note Blue Mousie is a WRC gearbox builder was goes freelance under an assumed name as they aren't allowed to apparently. So it was a WRC gearbox rebuilder who used WRC grade gearbox juice which was terrible.....much better when Silkolene put in.

I would still use Steve Lawson but he has "gone up market"

Every supplier has their good points, I have had so much go wrong that I have found out too many bad points.

The problem with the internet is that there is an assumption that "the truth will out" when the truth does start to come out it is amazing to watch the reactions of supporters. After all no one likes to think they have bought a pup and defends their position!
Then if things go wrong for them they assume they are an isolated case.

Leigh

Rally prep? Servicing? Engine / gearbox rebuilds?
Roger Clark Motorsport.
Not necessarily the cheapest, but you get what you pay for IMHO.

Leigh

mutant_matt

Caronte,Why didn't you just say so at the start then...???

IMHO ( ), Bill Gwynne or possibly Town End Garage.

Matt

[Edited by mutant_matt - 5/6/2002 9:47:43 AM]