Subaru Impreza WRX

[RetroPug]

I've finally bought the car I've dreamed of owning since I was a kid- an Impreza WRX.

Totally unmodified other than a quiet backbox because the original needed replacement, 89k miles, FSH, nearly 12months MOT and the correct colour etc. It's generally in pretty good condition.

I'm not driving it yet- still in the old daily Fiesta 1.6 tdci for now. However I've obviously test-driven it and driven it a fair way home from buying it, plus on local roads a bit. Eventually that'll go and this will be my daily.

Immediate plans are to do the cambelt, water pump and tensioners and any other servicing and maintenance it needs before it goes on the road, plus probably a turbo up-pipe as they stop the pre-turbo cat disintegrating and blowing through the turbo, help the turbo to spool earlier, are worth 5-10hp according to forums and dyno graphs etc. and are a PITA to change so easier to do it now while it isn't in daily use yet. Then potentially the mid-section of the exhaust between the cat/downpipe and the backbox to free it up even more and make it sound a little better. Don't want it silly loud but more bhp and little more noise would be good.


Eventually probably set it to pro-drive geometry settings and map it once exhaust and any other supporting modifications are done. Definitely want to get it tip-top mechanically and cosmetically first.

[Eeyore]

ah a blob eye one. Noice!

[Midnightclub]

Probably my favourite shape of them tbf, what HP do these come from the factory at 200ish?

[RetroPug]

Probably my favourite shape of them tbf, what HP do these come from the factory at 200ish?

Around 218-220 according to where you look it up. Very easy to free up more though apparently, better exhaust and map gets several tens of hp. According to the previous owner it felt a fair bit faster with the new backbox. It's definitely quick, and it definitely likes to drink vpower.

It's my favourite shape too, however I like most of them quite a lot.

[Midnightclub]

I'd ask how good it is on fuel, but i think how bad is it is probably the more accurate question haha? Be rude not to get a map on it!

[RetroPug]

From the driving I did on the day I got it- it's horrific!

Going to be ordering some bits soon, cambelt, waterpump etc.

[Mighty306]

From the driving I did on the day I got it- it's horrific!

I guess you won't be driving it like a hooligan ALL the time? My sister's bloke has one & he's let me drive it a couple of times.  I didn't hold back!!!

[Midnightclub]

Ha ha! First day is never a good measure though but then again you don't buy these for their fuel economy do you, it's all about the smiles per miles! Cambelts aren't particularly fun on these are they? (My only reference is the MCM vids lol)

[RetroPug]

I let it rip a few times on the way home, but at first it had fairly low fuel so I was going a steady 70 and it was still drinking it! Still not driving this until later in January- waiting for insurance on my current daily to end. Just to get my money's worth and avoid admin fees etc. Insurance quotes for the impreza haven't been too bad so far.

Due to life getting in the way over the festive period I haven't touched the car much other than starting it, rolling it about and letting it get up to temperature. However I have been spending £s and accumulating parts in the background over the past few weeks, including:
- full cambelt kit and waterpump (dayco belt, all bearings same as OE but not bought from Subaru, much cheaper!)
- Millers oil
- Genuine Subaru oil filter
- Coolant
- NGK iridium spark plugs
- Cabin filter
- Bosch Fuel filter
- Thermostat (think also genuine from memory)
- Milltek De-Res Centre section 2nd hand
- Centre Decat link pipe
- STI Spoiler
- Replacement gearknob, stereo surround, cup holder and boot carpet as mine are all tatty
- lightly used set of midrange tyres for free. Not what I want to run forever but it's got a slow puncture on one tyre and all are ditchfinders currently

I got a really good deal on all the 2nd hand bits! Absolutely can't wait to start driving it and also to start fitting some of them! Hopefully an update with some of that soon. Getting my friend to help me fit the cambelt kit. He's been in the motor trade for decades so hopefully should be OK. I'm not going to fit an up pipe now until the car has been mapped as after doing more research it would be better to map decats in. These have 3 cats as standard, probably going to end up running just a single sports cat eventually.

[RetroPug]

Tidied some more bits up:

Replaced the cabin filter, it definitely needed doing!

Replaced the worn gearknob with a decent 2nd hand one, removed the damaged stereo surround (I have a good one to fit but waiting to get the head unit out of my current daily).

Replaced the boot carpet with a good 2nd hand one. Also removed the bonnet sound deadening which literally flaked into a million pieces as soon as I pulled on it so had to hoover out the engine bay.

[Eeyore]

looks good. Cabin filters are always a bit of a shock when you do them with a car thats new to you!