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Engine Although STis have uprated engine internals they still need to be cared after in the same manner as the WRX motors. Oil changes should be carried out every 5,000 miles for Classics or 7,000 miles for newage, although more regular changes are not a bad thing, new spark plugs, brake fluid, transmission and diff oil should be changed every couple of years or 24,000 miles and the cambelt should be changed every 45,000 miles. Listen for knocking coming from the engine as this could indicate piston slap or bottom end damage and the turbo should run quite quietly if the cat is still in place. And last but not least, smoke free. Turbos must also be allowed to cool down after hard driving - ask the seller what he does for the shutdown procedure. Watch for a fluctuating idle which could be a symptom of a blown mass air flow sensor or sticking wastegate solenoids. If a boost gauge has been fitted, check that the boost pressure is not exceeding 17–18psi. Exhaust The standard exhausts are fairly long lasting but most owners will have probably have replaced the original exhaust with a stainless steel aftermarket performance exhaust system, due to their performance and their very reasonable prices. Hayward and Scott to name just one. If the cat is removed on the Impreza you are looking at buying make sure to get the old cat from the seller, if it’s not available budget this into the price, as you will need one come MOT time. Transmission A powerful car with 4wd is always going to punish the gearbox especially so if it has been modified. It’s not uncommon for a clutch to last as little as 40,000 miles. Clutch judder is common on Classic’s when the car is cold. The Subaru gearbox is extremely tough but when the gearbox is warm do the usual checks to ensure that all gears engage easily with no crunching, listen out for any whining at all whether it be from the gearbox itself or from the diffs. Popping out of gear is almost unheard of, but accelerate hard from low revs in each of the gears to make absolutely sure. Brakes The OE brakes and pads are not amazing and most owners uprate the pads, discs, lines and fluid to uprated items. DOT 5.1 fluid is common, especially if your going to take the car on track. As with any car brake hard from speed to ensure the car pulls up straight and smooth with no judder. Rear brakes can seize if a car is left standing. Bodywork Accident damage is a real possibility on these cars, vulnerable areas include the front end, front and rear wings. Check the underbody thoroughly for rust as a lot of car will not have been under sealed. The bonnet is also vulnerable to stone chips, budget the repair of this into the purchase price. Interior The electrics are general sound although the cheap interior plastics can look tatty over time. The newage cars have better interiors however the seats become less ‘buckety’. Suspension Worn anti roll bar bushes can be diagnosed by knocking coming front the front suspension. It has been said that the best suspension available for the STi is it the original STi set up. So replacing does necessarily mean having to go down the performance suspension route although this may work out to be the cheapest option. If buying the older Classic shapes check the rear strut's more so if it's a UK car as they seem to rot/rust at the top around the bolts. Feel free to add anything that might have been missed I will updated the post :)

Gave it a dam good spanking while rinsing a 16 plate 7 series [emoji41] he was not a happy bunny after failing for the 3rd time trying to undertake my old shed spec scooby, he was punching his steering wheel and directing air traffic with his hands [emoji23] He probably had the last laugh though .... As it took me a good 10 mins to pick my 150pc socket set up from all over the boot floor [emoji30]

Bought a copy of Japanese performance magazine. With this and the foreign beggars music video shoot, the old girls had a busy year [emoji41] Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

I used to get a strange irritating whining noise coming from the passenger side front when I hit full boost after I had my first remap . .... but I soon realised that the noise disappeared when the wife wasn't in the car 😂 If it's not broke .....upgrade it 😊

Started my 2003 WRX this morning to be greeted with flashing CEL light (which according to the net is a major fault), sluggish no boost and obviously sluggish performance stuck in limp home mode. After spending the day at work stressing I got home in the dark and plugged in my fault code reader that threw up the following (12 faults in total but some of the codes were replicated) P0502 P0503 P0851 P1152 P1153 P1518 After having a heart attack at the list (which didn't change even after deletion) I set to work on Google. I found on NASIOC that this can be caused by the green test connectors being connected under the dash. Despite not having touched them they had manage to align themselves well enough to come into contact causing the massive list of faults, limp home mode and a major CEL fault. Moved apart, reset codes again and back to perfection. After feeling like a complete pleb, but glad that it had not cost me a penny I have a happy car and happy wallet. I hope this helps someone who may find themselves in a blind panic one day like I did! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Little drive out with our Scoobys

was making way back home just taking my time &this 200 sx behind me was egar to get past, so he overtakes but gives me this sarky grin, so I speeded up he looked in the mirror & waved bye ,oh yeah I dont think so, I droped the auto power switch on & was on his tail he chickind out comeing uo to a bend slowed down far to early, I tuck him well befor the bend speeded away, & waved bye to him he banged his steering wheel with shame, ha,ha just thought he was taking on an old subaru est

Hi my name is Martin and i am here to admit my problem. It started 8 or so years ago, drooling over the offbeat warble of imprezas driving past. I vowed to myself-one day i would have one. Several years passed and i kept putting off buying one, saying I'd wait til i earn more etc... this year i thought sod it, I'm having one. So now I've got a 2003 wrx, i spend all my spare time and cash cleaning, fettling, looking or buying new parts, hiding them in the boot til they get fitted. My missus thinks i love Suzy (the car) more than her. I do. It gives me less grief and I'm more likely to get lucky with it. And we love getting dirty together before washing all of her curves and caressing her intimate parts, covering her in thick gloopy liquid before massaging it in. My name is Martin, I'm an addict in love with my Impreza, what's your story? Sent from my SM-N9005 using Tapatalk

Well seeing as I booked in a dyno session for the v1sti and wont be using it until the turbos rebuilt and re fitted, I decided to take the v7sti for a dyno health check at last . Glad I did, as first run showed low boost , afr out and low standard 'ish power at 280hp 226flbs 🤔 I use Clive Attowe as he knows his engine's and diagnostics, not just a good mapper . Although both power and boost were down ,he started by cleaning the maf to try and stable the afr's first (better) Then set about finding out why it wasn't making mapped boost targets and found that a pin hadn't been crimped in properly on the boost solenoid plug (got more boost back) I need a new maf and will probably fit a new fuel filter , then go back to see if numbers improve but the end result was 311hp /278flbs . At least I now know it's running safe and the extra 31hp and 52flbs , has made a world of difference to how it drives 😎

Gave it a wash and took a quick pic with my dad's new (to him) Forester. Not a bad looking driveway tbh .

She’s here 🙂

Wash it. Hand polish and wax. Used a clay mitt for first time. You can feel the rough paint with the mitt.

Gotta wait for the producer to edit it but once I get a copy I'll post it up . Ebo (the UK grime artist) seemed impressed with my old school scooby . Don't think his mate in the fmic audi was too happy .... I told him mine was standard and he wanted to do a proppa 1/4 run with his 290 hp a3 . "I'll win cos my audi is lighter blud" Should've seen the look on his face when i rinsed him good n proppa 😁

Day8 progress: Absolutely chuffed, bar a few seized bolts on the old turbo and exhaust that I needed a hand getting off it's all my own work and it's now ready to go to Andy Forest for mapping! Over the moon it's all running ok. It's been a busy weeks work. Picture below of it stripped out last week and the end result!

Just a few pictures of japfest silverstone 2017

Btcc at brands on Sunday... gotta love a meet at the racing 😊😊

Just received my owner club stickers thought I'd share a pic :) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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So I finally got it, 2004 Forester Sti and I LOVE IT! Really happy with it and she sure shifts, got a few bits planned for it to tidy it up and looking the part and get the timing done, service and few other bit. Currently has few nice parts fitted including Tein coilovers, stage 1 remap , stage 1 clutch, some samco hoses and some others. Will get it in my workshop this week o have a good look under it and go from there.

Finally found a low mileage (58000) standard WRX STI Wide Track, will add more pic's soon.

Decided to go blue today da ba dee da ba die, next up is to replace the clock with a nice triple set of blue gauges in a pod but not very confident with doing that by myself

Had a little wipe over under the bonnet if no where else Caution, gratifying engine bay picture....

Subaru convoy over to the M-SOC meet

Parked next to another scooby - thems the rules - whilst attending comic con at NEC :)

Arrived this morning

It's alive!!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Couldn't hear the audio on this vid so don't know what's being said but if you fast forward to 2 mins I'm sure gambit makes a appearance [emoji23] https://youtu.be/uH7yK4KmGCU

Done a cuple of mods to day fitted my diffuser and a cuple of wing stiffis think they finish the back off tbh Sent from my SM-N910F using Tapatalk

Finally got my GT1's fitted think it's transformed the car. -- I make Films and Website for people

New wheels on :)

Had a bit of rain this morning, naturally I didn't miss an opportunity for water beading pics! :D

Here's my lady, hope these upload OK.

Postie has been , guess I'd better hurry up and get everything run through pats hot wash 1 evening this week [emoji848] Mind you i could always start rebuilding the heads after dinner done tonight [emoji4] Not the best pic but there's pretty much every subaru gasket and seal needed to rebuild a ej207 , new headstuds ,new nitraded crank ,new rings , king racing bearings and cossie stopper headgaskets [emoji6]

Had to take the scoob to work today ,as it's booked in for mot . Can't remember the last time i enjoyed "going " to work before [emoji848] but 25miles of b road smiles ftw [emoji16] didn't like parking it in the building site car park though , as its not the flatest bit of ground and i do lack a bit ground clearance [emoji4] She past without any advisories and i was told "its cleaner underneath than most 5 yr old cars " Which aint bad seeing as shes 23 yrs old [emoji41] Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Had wheel refurbished today, look much better. Pic 1 before pic 2&3 after

A few snaps taken up in the hills... Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Taken her camping for one last hurrah before the stripping begins next week Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Had a MY1999 when I was 34 in 1999 and just bought a WRX STI V5 now I am 51, your never to old. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

43 and wanted one since I was 20 but for some reason stuff just got in the way.... I looked around for 18 months for a little gem and this is what I found 2000 turbo classic.... love it and wish I'd taken the plunge to get one a long time ago... it makes me smile every time I drive it 😛

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Import Litchfield forester STI. 330HP i have had lots of cars over the years and some with over 300hp but honestly nothing feels as brutal as these things. Yesterday i was on my way home when a guy asked what the hell it was while in his E36 M3 he asked if i could keep up, So after jumping off the line and leaving him for dead he said at the next set of lights. I cant believe you just dusted me with a F***king Christmas tree in the back :P hahaha awesome machine. more pics t follow

Probably... think he was trying to impress the girl in the passenger seat. I'm sure she was turned on by watching me go off into the distance :D

Mot passed, no advisories :)

Scoop is installed! Was relatively painless apart from two bolts on the old scoop had rusted on and took a lot of sweary words and two broken clips to remove! Gave the scoop a coat of wax before installing as well!

Not all today, but fitted Japspeed rearbox and very happy with it, looks and sounds great. Sti front grille badge and a recent coat of MER polish and quick simoniz wax. The exhaust also had a polish over with Brasso before fitting, (was clean but thought may aswell as it was off and easy enough). Took it for an approx 200 mile round trip to center parcs (Sherwood), very enjoyable drive.

Today I just smiled to myself when walking back to my car from the chippy [emoji41] Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It's sort of sad really... I mean, that car has had under a year's worth of driving in it's entire life. The next person that buys it at that price is just going to store it away and only bring it out every now and then. The likelihood of anyone else ever seeing it in person is very slim- it may as well be sorn. It almost defeats the object of having it... Someone once said to me about doing things to keep the mileage of your car is a bit like not having s*x with your girlfriend to keep her good for the next bloke. I've sort of gone by that ever since.

Stuff to be fitted on Saturday Question about the rear strut brace, can you keep the parcel shelf in?

My wife came home today and told me this story. She was behind a middle aged woman in a sporty fiesta (no they do exist of a fashion) driving along slowly towards some traffic lights which were red, she pulled up in the left lane so my wife pulled up in the right lane. Anyway the middle ages woman started gearing up for a race start and floored it off the green light, my wife in her XV decided that she was NOT having some middle aged bint race her off the lights so she floored it too, she pulled back in front of the fiesta and at about 65mph she changed into 6th and opened the taps, the result was, as she described a bit like the nitrous in Fast and furious she just screamed away and it was goodbye old biddy!! she also said it was childish but had to be done I just had a bog standard vectra hounding me down a twisty road so I accelerated up to 60mph and stuck it on cruise control, I decided that I would just stick at the same speed regardless of the bend, he was fine for a few bends but then he had to lock up going into one and he just fell further and further back after that. though he did come screaming at me on the straights (because I was only doing 60). I don't think he was very happy. this too was childish :D

did'nt take to many pics of this stage of the build but, made a fair bit of progress instead ;) cleaned the cams and cam caps , plastigauged the clearances on the bearing caps (which were fine) coated them in fresh oil/lubed the bearings with graphogen paste and fitted them with the cam lobes at base circle (lobes not pushing on the valves) .Set the cams in postion acording to the manual fitted the rear cambelt covers ,cam pulleys,all the new rollers and new hydrolic tensioner all that was left to do at this stage was fit the kevlar timing belt ,untill i Could free up a long weekend to fit the engine,because i dont have the suitable auxilairies,pipes,fuel lines water pipes ect ... due to the v1 long engine componets not being compatable with my v3 scoob .So i'll have to strip and clean them off my car and fit them to the forged long engine before i fit it into my scooby ;) chucked the inlet on top and poked the 550's and caps on top to see the finished look (again lol) excuse the !Removed! pink dipstick it was on the long engine when i got it ...:o honest as for the dog its always under my feet