spuker1

Hello!

So, I have become a fresh Subaru Impreza owner. It's a P reg 2.0 Sport in Red.



It's my second car ever and I can't even drive it yet. I have bought it for a project. All I want to do with it really is fix and clean it up a bit before I put it through MOT and insure it. It's because I'm under 24 and I have got my license since last year only, so insurance for a Scooby is ridiculous. I much rather to put the money I would be ripped off from into the car and keep on driving my trusty Almera for some time.

Anyway,

There's no serious rust to speak of and mechanically it's almost sound. It has some play in steering wheel, but you can only feel it when stationary. There's some rattle in exhaust at the front times to times and brakes feel a bit funny. The worst bit is the paintwork.

I'm in need of passenger side doors, spoiler and bumpers in red (don't know the code but I think there are two shades of red for impreza and mine is the brighter one). I was also thinking about Turbo bonnet.

So yea, Hello there and whish me luck with my childhood dream car!

Tom

PS. Sorry for my funny English as it's not the first language I speak.

myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

If you think your English is funny then god help you when you see some of the stuff written on here (you're english is fine)

Colour code should be on your VIN plate in the engine bay passenger side suspension turret.

Depending on how bad the paintwork is it could be easily polished up rather than buying replacement parts.
Don't bother with turbo bonnet be happy that it's a Sport

AWG

iTrader: (6)

Keep us updated matey and enjoy the ownership!

Tony Harrington

iTrader: (8)

Welcome to SNet mate, it will be interesting to see what you do with the car!!

mark1esc

it dont matter matey its a scooby and a red one so you can join the red scooby club and make it 5 of us lol

spuker1

Hehe thanks guys!

I am happy it's a sport, I didn't want a turbo, however I really like turbo scoop and facelift side vents

Well the paintwork isn't bad overall but clear laquer is peeling off in various places. Mostly on front bumper and passanger front door where there is a big pocket full of water when it rains under a layer of laquer which looks like a sheet of foil not sticking properly... There is a big peel patch next to rear windscreen and it's the only one I will go to body shop with. The rest of them are on doors and bumpers really. Spoiler has faded to a red-wine-vomit shade of pink. Also one of doors is scratched and dented badly by inconsiderate parking. It's previous owner wanted to scrap it so he didn't care past last few weeks but he took care of it very well for last 6 years overall. He bought himself a new Skoda estate and I have salvaged poor old scooby pretty much last minute

Other than that left rear light is cracked and there's congestion (is that the right word for a mist water gathering inside?) getting in and also somehow water is getting in to the boot. So I will probably have to replace that light and a boot seal asap.

Modifications wise I want to keep it fairly stealth and standard. Probably will go for a stainless angled back box to replace that peashooter which is there at the moment and unleash a bit more of a boxer burple Also would lower it a bit, but a tiny bit. Shorter springs would be perfect, no need for coilies I quite actually fancy other wheels. I quite like those 16" that came in classic WRXs I think or new age WRX 17"... Might do facelift front conversion as well... But I want to keep it fairly standard looking and technically as sound as possible

Thanks for all replies

I will do my best to photograph all the good and bad bits of it and post it here so you could give me some more advice

Cheers,

Tom

myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

Fair enough you can pick up turbo bonnets from nearly every single Impreza breaker (have a look in the 'Market Place' on here).

You wont get the boxer burble ( or much of it) as you will have even length manifold

16" wheels you should be able to pick up really cheaply (I get sets for £50 normally)

spuker1

I know that the turbo bonnet isn't a problem. I might actually stick to the N/A one for now. I know about UEL manifolds. BTW. Are turbo and non turbo manifolds the same? I mean can you connect a turbo mani to n/a engine with not much hassle? I think I know the answer to that already but I thought I'll ask anyway... Anyway, I think the amount of burble with normal mani is enough for now. I'm thinking about changing the back box and maybe a cener pipe for something more 'sporty' but subtle and that should do. I don't want it to shout and scream WRX Turbo BOV 5MPG and do 0-60 in 10sec. or whatever

Regarding 16"s I would need those with decent tyres on as well. What sort of price mark is that?

Cheers,

Tom

Ste333

iTrader: (3)

thats a cool project. itll get there eventually. n/a's always a tricky one to take on because you have to decide what direction to take with it. rock the n/a or swap to turbo power at some point

spuker1

I think I will keep this one N/A and fairly stock. Some exhaust bits and some intake bits would probably do for this one. I really want to just drive it, so the project is to smarten it up a bit

First goals for it are:

Sort out the paintwork (spoiler, doors, bumpers and a patch on one of the rear panels, Still don't know if I should try to find and replace them or try to sand bad bits down and try to spraypaint it).
Sort out the leak in the boot (I'm on it!).
Lower it a bit.
Get a nice smart exhaust for it.
Get a smart intake for it and clean it up under the bonnet properly.
Underseal it!
Figure out if steering rack needs sorting and do it if it does.
Get Subaru Nardi steering wheel for it (STi I believe...)

and then

Get some nice bucket seats for it
Get Turbo 16" wheels or newage WRX 17"

and then god knows what will happen!

I am open to all suggestions and advice and I will probably need loads of help from you lot which I thank for in advance

Cheers!

L.J.F

iTrader: (31)

Welcome and good luck with the project

spuker1

Thanks,

I was wondering if any of you could estimate if that will fit straight onto my Sport's stock exhaust?



"Subaru Impreza jap backbox 1993-2000" - auction title

Frizzle-Dee

Hi Spuker1, if this backbox is from a turbo car you will find the bore is a different size.
The turbo'd models have a 2.5 inch bore as std. whereas the Sport has a 2.25 inch bore.
You can make it fit with some patience and welding but it wont be a straight fit from purchase.
Also, if this is an after market back box you are looking at, it is not guaranteed to match up with your std. centre section (speaking from experience here-I found my std. centre section was too long to accommodate an after market back box and so I bought the corresponding centre section for that particular back box-if that makes sense)
Your best option if you want to avoid the hassel of modifying the pipe to match would be to look for a sport specific after market exhaust.
Hayward and Scott or Cobra do a good selection of exhausts for N/A Scoobs.

Hope that helps

spuker1

Yes it does help thanks. I have looked at sport specific stuff but second-hand ones are rare and new ones are too expensive for me at the moment.

I have diecided to buy this one. I think I can make it fit, but I will have to chop the flange off and weld it together with my stock exhaust. Or maybe If I get lucky I could just slide it over the stock one and than seal it somehow. If I get highly uninspired about doing it I can always sell it on as it costed me about £50 posted which is cheap enough to flog on without money loss I think All the difference there is (except the diameter of course) is that this one goes down pretty much just after the can and then straight on where the one I have got on now goes down as well and then around under control arms mounting point bit and then back up and there it flanges with the center pipe... All the hangers and that are the same. So I might chop it and try to mate those two together or I might look for bog standard Turbo center pipe and try to mate that with the rest of my exhaust

Thank you!

Tom

Other than that I have ordered an HKS mushroom filter to put right after my MAF and a cheeky blue tow hook. I know it's a bit stupid but I always wanted one!

myblackwrx

iTrader: (1)

Nardi was actually the original maker of steering wheels for the early turbo Imprezas (STI and WRX).
You could pick up the interior from early turbo imprezas quite cheaply as well (ebay is alwaysa good pace to look)
16" shouldn't set you back much I normally buy a set quite cheaply normally have to get them refurbed but that can be quite cheap as for tyres places like Camskill,blackcircles and mytyres are always worth a look at (although you will have to get them fitted and some high street tyre fitters don't like doing that).
Respraying the car can be done DIY but it all comes down to prepping it properly and having somewhere dust free to do it.

spuker1

Thanks!

I have got myself a set of turbo 16" wheels which I really like. I have put on them enkei decals to make them look like Mitsubishi EVO oem enkeis and cause havoc and confusement!!! I have also just sorted my cam belt with all other bits that come with the kit. People that put it in for me told me that they were trying hard to find other things that need fixing and they couldn't really find anything at all (around the engine anyway). There's pretty much no rust on it too. They said that the radiator mounts on crossmember are always first to go and mine look spotless!

I'm also going to get myself 4spoke momo wheel with airbag. That should look nice and oem+. I am also looking for doors in 559 red which is extremely hard to find. Things that needs sorting still is slight play in the steering wheel (doesn't bother me too much as I can hardly feel it), fog lights - don't work and most of all leaky boot.

God where do I start on that? I have checked everything, I even replaced my cracked lights for fresh ones (JDM import ones straight away lol), I have taken all the carpets and trims out and put baby powder all over the damn thing to see where the water gets in... nothing. I have noticed that it gathers in those pits/wells/holes on the sides just by the wings, where you put jack in and then it spreads to the spare wheel area when it overflows. It takes a while though so it sloshes around all the time. I'm quite desperate now to be honest. I have watched light seals but they are all dry all the time, I have siliconed around all bolts and rubber thingies I could find, I have taken the ugly spoiler off and put bolts and washers with loads of rubber seals and silicone on so there's no chance anything will go through there and the main seal is fine too. I even thought it might be bad adjustment of the bootlid catch so I pulled it down a bit. The water still gets in and my boot pops open like a booby trap now lol

Anyway I am so frustrated about that. I really want to fix that. I think I have to re-seal lights again maybe but if that doesn't work and I don't think it will then I'm out of ideas. Any suggestions on that anyone?

All in all here you go, recent photos of my beloved Impreza:







Cheers,

Tom